The College Life
by McWoohoo
Summary: Our Losties in college, JATE, Shayid, little ClaireSawyer poss, Pbj, Sana, maybe more. Please review.
1. The First Day

Walking down the hall, everybody knew them, the one group of friends that had actually stayed friends through thick and thin over the years, the crowd of people who through their differences still had bonded to become a mix matched group of people. All the way from childhood to where they were now, going into college.

They were well known for different things, Jack for his football and his grades, being the best…at basically everything. Kate, being one of the friendliest people you could meet, always in the middle of things, trying to sort things out, and people respected her for it. Sawyer, also good at football, the wannabe bad ass, but had a soft centre that didn't come out that often, unless he slipped up. Claire, kind and caring, someone you could talk to about just about anything. Sayid, another one for football, very bright and quick witted, and last of all Shannon, obsessed with her nails…hair…skin and just about everything about herself, if it wasn't for the fact that Sayid and Claire forced her to concentrate through high school and exams, she wouldn't be in college with them.

So that was the six of them, who had grown up together and were hoping that college wouldn't be any different, and it was their first day, new college, new people, so many new faces that looked just as confused as them as to where to go. They had all been assigned form classes and luckily for the group, luck was on their side and they were all together, Room M012a, which was somewhere…

"Kate, are we lost?" Claire pushed past Sawyer to walk up beside Kate at the front.

"No, its somewhere round here, I know it is…" Looking at every door they were passing, trying to keep the confidence in her voice, as it started to waver inside her.

"Hey! Guys! We're here. Kate did know where she was going." Wrapping an arm round her shoulders and patting her on the head, with dim witted smile plastered across his face, at which he got a shove, and a smile returned. It was no secret to the rest that Jack liked Kate and vice versa, for years, neither admitting it, both not wanting to ruin an amazing friendship that they had shared from such a young age. Even their parents were surprised that nothing had happened yet between them.

They walked into the room, scanning it at first, returning a few waves to the people they did know, and smiling at others they didn't and headed to the back where there was a whole table they could fit everyone on. Jack next to Kate, Sayid and Shannon together on the opposite side, after finally getting together on the summer break, the furthest apart they got was holding hands, and Claire and Sawyer.

Claire was on a mission for the first term to get Sawyer to lighten up and embrace his softer side, which was disgustedly rejected by him when he had over heard her conversation about it with Kate and Shannon, but Claire had a strong will, and he had a soft spot for her at times.

More people were still turning up, filling in the remaining seats, when a large boy with brown curly hair, and a girl with dark eyes, hair and a tanned skin approached their table.

"Er…hey people, are these seats taken?" Looking utterly terrified and pointing at the empty chairs.

"No, come and sit down. I'm Jack." He said, extending an arm towards the boy, who took it and followed the girl to the chairs.

"Hugo, but just call me Hurley…don't ask…" he trailing off.

Everyone's eyes then switched to the girl, who took her turn.

"Ana, Ana Lucia." She said with confidence, towards the smiling group.

Sawyer stepped in and finished the introduction, "Hellooo…" Claire smacked him across the back of the head not even letting him get into his sexual innuendo stride. Rubbing his head he continued. "This is freckles, well Kate," pointing to Kate, "Claire," nodding his head to her, "And that's the two lovebirds, who don't come up for much air." The couple both continued kissing but stuck their fingers up at him. "And me, I'm known as Sawyer." He finished brandishing a dimpled smile at her.

Sayid pulled away from Shannon and turned to Ana Lucia extending his hand to her, she took it, then to Hurley, who also took it, and said, "My name is Sayid, and this is Shannon." Shannon gave a quick smile then made a slight moaning noise and dragged Sayid back round to her. Everyone else rolled their eyes, which made the newcomers laugh.

"This is the usual." Jack said with a laugh. As he had turned to talk to Kate when a man walked in to the room, not that much older than them, maybe early 20's, he put some stuff down on a desk and looked up at everyone. Everybody had stopped at his appearance and listened to what he had to say.

" Hi, Guys. My name is Greg, I'm your tutor for the next 2 years, welcome to college life!"

**Ok please review. This is my first story like this, the last story I wrote failed so I'm going to need your help, so please review, and give me your opinions. Thanks. :D**


	2. The Beach Party

Thanks to kiips4 for your review, I hope you keep reading  

The first day turned out to be quite fun, none of the lessons went into full swing, all they did was get to know the people in their classes, the teacher, and a basic introduction as to what they would be doing for the rest of course. It consisted of four lessons, two in the morning, and two more after lunch. After form, they headed of to find their next room, Jack went off to biology then Chemistry, while Sayid went of to maths then electronics, Claire and Shannon went to English then textiles, Kate went to French then to Art, and dragged Sawyer to business on the way. First lesson and he was already reluctant to go. She wasn't even sure that he would go to his next lesson of maths, she hoped so but it was Sawyer.

Kate following the flow of people, found her way to the canteen, and stopped when she was just through the door to search out her friends. Looking over the top of numerous chatting heads she saw Jack and Claire wave over at her.

"Phew! Its like a riot out there…so many people, its unbelievable!" Throwing herself down beside Jack at the table. Shannon and Sayid were busy feeding each other lunch beside Sawyer who was slowly moving along towards Hurley with a look of terror on his face, as they began to lean across forgetting the boundaries of the lunch table. Claire had shoved her fist in her mouth to try and control the fits of giggles that had enveloped her. Kate started to laugh as Claire face started to rise to a purple colour.

"Hey Sawyer, I think that expression on your face is gonna kill Claire if your not careful." She said to him smirking. Sawyer looked to Jack as in a _control your woman _at which Jack just shrugged at him and started to laugh himself.

"Did you all see the flyers that have been stuck up around college?" Jack asked the table to which they all shook their heads.

"Never got that close to a wall yet" Claire piped up, grinning.

"Well, there's a party at the end of the week, some rich girls beach house, I think her name is Libby, we should go." He finished and went back to eating.

"Yeah, that's sounds cool." Kate replied. Nodding.

Just then Sayid and Shannon toppled of their chairs backwards into a crowd of passing people, food going with them causing quite a mess. After a lot of sorry and are you all right? The group made a hasty exit, deciding to head off early to their next classes, Jack, Kate and Claire got maths together, Sayid took the duty of escorting Sawyer to English with him, and Shannon went to media.

The rest of the week passed as a blur. Lessons were flowing nicely. Nice teachers, and they got settled in quite well. During the week Jack had taken a flyer for the group to look at which gave them all the details they needed.

PARTY!

Friday night

7pm

The Beach House

Friday night came; everyone was going to the party, Jack had told the rest to go to his for 6 so they could chill for a bit there then head down to the beach together. Sticking on a pair of jeans and a sleeveless top he jumped onto the couch waiting for people to turn up. Not long after getting comfortable, he heard the door open then close and Kate walked in.

"Hey" She said walking over and shoving his bottom half off the couch so that she could sit down.

"Hey. Hey! I'm in my own home you know!" Laughing at her move.

"You've got to make room guests Jack." She returned teasing.

"Well I'm not to sure whether I can call you a guest anymore. You basically live here!" Settling back down again, smiling, and then having the remote wrenched from his hands. Which turned into a full on wrestle, Kate had a strong grasp on the remote and wasn't going to willingly let go of it any time soon, but Jack played dirty and began to tickle her. Uncontrollable giggling followed, at which he burst out laughing too. Unknown to them that the rest had turned up and were standing in the door way watching.

"Do you think we should make our presence known yet?" Claire whispered to the others who nodded.

"Ehem!" Sawyer cleared his throat loudly. While the other three stifled laughs.

Jack and Kate stopped instantly; slowly turning there heads to the noise, and saw the looks on their faces. Sawyer winked at Jack, who scowled back at him but then realised the position they were in. Jack climbed off Kate who promptly pull her shirt down which had risen up during the wrestling and tickling and cleared her throat.

"Yeah…I think its time we went to that party." She said standing up.

"Hell it's already started for you two." Sawyer teased at them, which was returned with a jab in the ribs from both sides from Claire and Shannon. For them, if anything was going to happen between their two friends they wanted them to sort it out and not be teased or interfered with by Sawyer. Of course they'd be there to help if needs be, and it was certainly looking that way from the constant denial of admitting to feelings.

"Yep, time to go people." Jack said ushering people out the door grabbing his keys on the way out.

By the time they got to the party, the beach was full, as was the house, it seemed that people had turned up a bit earlier than expected. They made their way to the kitchen to grab some drinks and then mulled around see if anyone they knew from their old high school was there. After a few minutes they hit the nearest settees, and chatted amongst themselves, Sawyer had gone on the offensive to Jack and Kate about their situation, Claire was busy tugging on him to stop, while Shannon and Sayid took the opportunity to make out some more.

" Hey blondie! I only asked a question!" Sawyer raised his hands up.

"You just asked them why they wouldn't just hurry up and get it on!" Claire shouted at him.

"See, a question." Grinning back at her.

Jack and Kate covered the awkwardness that they were feeling right then by laughing at the scene in front of them.

Just then a girl crashed down beside them. "Oh my God! I didn't think this many people would turn up." She said to Kate who had turned to her when she hit the settee. Jack turned to listen too.

"Ah you must be Libby." Kate said smiling.

"Yeah. I'm the crazy person who held the party" She replied laughing. "Well, enjoy." She got back up and headed off outside.

The party didn't last long, near half ten the cops turned up and cleared everyone out, and arrested a few guys who had thought it was funny to lie on the police cars naked. But everyone agreed it wasn't bad for the first party of the term, maybe a little uncontrollable, but that's what happens when they're a lot of people. Jack agreed that any of his future parties would be kept to a smaller crowd of people so gatecrashers would be kept at a minimum.

It was a nice night to walk back in, so they headed off. Soon Sayid and Shannon said goodbye to others going in one direction, while Jack, Kate, Claire, and Sawyer went in another. Sawyer left off first, leaving the other three who happily walked down the street chatting. It had always been that way between them, easy to talk, they understood each other even when they weren't talking. They got to Claire's house; at which she hugged them both at went inside leaving Jack and Kate to walk the rest of the way down the street. They only lived at the other end, Jack's house on the end and Kate's being right next-door. Their parents had known each other before they were even born, so they were just about brought up together, and it showed, as they were hardly apart.

"Its amazing isn't it?" Kate said looking across at him for a second then turning back to the path.

"What is?" Jack asked curious.

"The fact that we've known each other soooo long and we're still together…friends, I mean, you know, and now we're off to college. That's a long time." Kate said, as they approached her door.

Once they got there they stopped at Jack turned to Kate. "Yeah. That's 'cause we're best friends," he said bringing her into a hug, not before feeling that he'd love nothing more than to be more than friends, "and nothing can get in the way of that." Kissing her on her head. "Night Kate." Pulling away and heading next door.

"Night…" All near thoughts had momentarily flown out of her head, leaving her completely lost on the spot.

**Keep reviewing people! Thank you.**

**Next chapter: a new addition to the group, football trials for the boys, and some competition with the girls**

**Btw the updates may slow down a bit now 'cause I'm back to college, but I'll try.**


	3. Trials

**Thank you for all the reviews! Here's chapter 3!**

Since college had got off to a great start, things were starting to flow and get into the rhythm that the rest of the term would follow, nothing exceptional had happened for a while.

It was break, Jack and Sayid were in deep conversation about…something, Kate and Claire who were standing there just looked on, pretended for all of two seconds that they knew what was going on, gave up, sighed and sat down to start there own conversation. They didn't get very far into it, as shouting and a loud banging began, becoming increasingly louder and seemed to be getting closer. A few other people, who were outside as well, began to back away from the doors that the sound was emitting from. All confusion was cleared in an instant as Sawyer came running up and up to Jack and Sayid, shouting words so fast that nobody could understand.

"Fobl tries!" He said so fast, that Sayid patted him on the shoulder to try and calm him down. Most people had gone back to doing their own thing, but Claire and Kate approached, just staring at him confused.

"Sawyer!" Jack said to him trying to get his attention, "Just calm down. Speak slowly, so we can actually understand what you are saying."

"What? Do you want me to spell it out for you? F-O-O-T-B-A-L-L T-R-I-A-L-S…FOOTBALL TRIALS! Tomorrow night! They're putting together a team to be ready for when the season starts." Finishing with a huge grin on his face.

There was silence for a second, and then a groan was heard from the girls, "Oh God, here it comes…" Kate said closing her eyes.

"HEEEEEEELLLLLL YEEEEEEEEEEEEEAH!" Jack punched a fist into the air.

"Woooooooooooo, nice one!" Sayid shouted at Sawyer.

"YEEEEEEEEEEEEAH!" Sawyer shouted back in return.

Most of the next five minutes was taking up by the continuous celebration noises of the guys, while the girls watched the stupidity unfold, as they began a celebratory dance to combine with the whoops of joy.

"Hey where's Shannon? She's never normally two inches away from Sayid." Claire asked looking confused.

"Oh yeah, she was called off to the office, I don't know what it was about, hopefully she'll be back soon." Kate gave her the answer, "Speak of the devil…" pointing to the doors, where Shannon had appeared with a blonde haired boy.

"Hey guys…" She stopped and saw the war dance that was being conducted by the three guys, "Anyways, there's someone I'd like you to meet, everyone, this is Charlie, he's new."

"Hi." He said to Kate and Claire who replied back. The guys, who noticed the new arrival, stopped their dance to come over and get acquainted. The group were no strangers to a mix of accents, so there was no bother with Charlie's British accent, as Sayid, had a half and half Iraqi/English accent, and Claire had an Australian one. Even Kate and Sawyer were originally from other states.

"You just moved here?" Claire, asking the most obvious question ever, and feeling a little dumb at it.

"Yeah, I love it here, its all sunny and hot, better compared to Manchester where it rains non stop." He said with a laugh.

"Yeah…" Claire said trailing off.

"Right." Kate said loudly taking control of the weak situation "Lets show you around." Linking in with Charlie and grabbing Claire in the process, and briskly heading back in through the doors, turning once at the door to wink at the rest left behind.

Kate had shown him around the college with little help coming from Claire, and found that he had been put with them in their form class. She had invited him to come to the trials with them but had said he was still busy with the moving, Hurley had also turned down the offer, in favour of staying away from the football team, but Ana Lucia had agreed to join them in what was a yearly tradition of watching Jack, Sawyer and Sayid try out, and as usual get a spot on the team.

After last lesson the guys went off to change while the girls headed off to the small stadium that was at the back of the campus, and got comfortable in the stands. The guys started to emerge from the changing rooms and it wasn't till one guy waved to the other side of the stands that the girls looked across to see another group of girls.

"Sarah…" Kate seethed through gritted teeth.

"What are they doing here?" Claire sounded bitter also.

"Who are they?" Ana asked, confused by the daggers that were being shot across he stands.

"You see the blonde one, at the front, that's Sarah…" Kate spat bitterly.

"She and Jack went out for a bit, then it all ended with a huge bang when she was caught cheating with Mark, the one she keeps waving at, who was at the time a good friend of Jacks." Claire recited. "Then she had the nerve to blame the whole thing on Kate, saying that Jack spent too much time with her to be _just_ friends."

"Oh..." Ana replied, already feeling a hatred creep up on her towards Sarah.

"Come on, let's get back to watching them play, I don't want to discuss _her_ anymore." Kate ended the discussion turning back to the mass of guys running round the grass, throwing footballs.

Half an hour later the huddled crowd of guys round the coach dispersed, and Jack, Sawyer and Sayid head towards the stands in front of the girls. Just as the girls were wondering if they had made the team, all three stopped, ripped their shirts off over their heads and started to swing them around above there heads, doing a dance to match. The girls just burst out laughing, rolling around on their bench trying to take back control. Claire looked across to where Sarah's group was situated and noticed that they were glaring at the interest they were getting, taking control she formulated a plan.

"Come on, lets piss them off a little bit more," Claire voiced turning back to he other girls, "Shannon you, obviously…" rolling her eyes, "…get Sayid."

"Ok"

"Kate…ok, no need for words…" Claire continued laughing, "And Ana you can help me harass Sawyer, cause he loves it so much." Finished with a mischievous grin.

The four of them burst from their seats that second, hurtling down the rows, startling the guys a little, who stopped dancing to try and anticipate their moves.

Shannon leapt at Sayid who grabbed her mid air, and immediately began the constant ritual of there kissing. Kate got to Jack and put on hand on his shoulder while jumping up hoping that he would catch her, which he did with ease, following with giggles. And Claire and Ana both got a grip around Sawyer giving him a big hug, at which he started to struggle, trying to walk and prise the two girls clenched around him off. Jack turned around and placed Kate down and the pair broke out in new laughter again at the seeing the sight of Sawyer.

"Ha.Ha. Very funny…" Sawyer sneered. "Hey look, they've learnt a new trick, making out while walking!" Pointing at Sayid and Shannon.

The couple chose to ignore his comment and continued walking back out of the stadium heading back to Jacks.

**:D Some more Jatey cuteness next…**

**Ok chapter 4 will be up tomorrow, I'm going to take my time and try not to rush and ruin the chapters .**


	4. The Old and The New

**Sorry its short, but I had to end it there for this chapter, what comes next is tomorrow night's instalment. lol**

Once back at Jack's, the guys changed into clean clothes and the all settled down in the living room, Charlie and Hurley turning up not long after to join them.

"Ooooh." Kate cooed before running out of the room unexpectedly to return only a few minutes later holding an album.

"I just thought we could show the newest of the group," gesturing to Ana, Hurley and Charlie, "How long some of theses traditions of ours have been going."

Everyone nodded and piled together around the settee, Kate sitting on the floor in the middle so that everyone around could see the book. Looking at the first picture she read the annotation, " Jack, aged 3, with his first football." A picture of Jack standing proudly holding his football smiling.

"Aww, look at diddums." Sawyer said, pulling a face at Jack.

"Shut up and just watch and listen." Jack looked back to the book.

The next picture was an active picture of Jack throwing the ball, "Jack, throwing his ball." She continued, "Oh and this one was just lovely… Jack, just threw the ball at Kate, also 3." Jack gave her a hug, they all laughed, looking at the picture of Jack in the corner looking like he just conquered something and Kate sitting down on the floor holding her head with the ball lying next to her.

" But, what wasn't caught on camera was me then getting up, picking up the ball and chucking it back at him, hitting him in the back of the head." Laughing.

"Yeah but look…" Jack said pointing to the picture on the next page, "…there's us just after I apologised and giving you a hug to make up for it."

Everyone awed at picture they were looking at. Jack had Kate in a tight hug, smiling widely. Everyone was quiet for a moment. Kate could feel a blush slowly rising in her cheeks as she realised that they were all focusing on her and Jack.

Right then Jacks mom walked in, she loved having the kids around all together and noticed a few new faces, and threw down a whole load of blankets and pillows. Everyone's attention shot to her. Jack opened his mouth to ask what they were for, right before the answer was upon him.

"For you kids, I don't expect you to all sleep on the cold floor all night." Giving them all a warm smile then a wink at her son.

"Thanks." Jack replied appreciatively.

Once all had settle once again to blankets and pillows, and after making calls, Kate turned her attention to the next picture in the album, "This was the day when Sawyer joined 'football obsessives 'r' us' when we were four, looking at the picture they saw Jack and Sawyer on opposite sides of a garden throwing the ball, with Kate up the tree in the background.

"I still don't know how you got up that tree at only four years old." Sawyer commented laughing.

"That tree was just grown specially for me to climb." She replied laughing at him.

" Aww, how sweet…" Kate said to everyone.

" What? You found another baby photo of Jacko?" Sawyer questioned sarcastically.

"No, look." She said pointing over to the end of the settee where Claire and Charlie were sitting. Both had fallen asleep, Claire with her head lazily lying on Charlie's shoulder.

"I think that is the sign for us to turn in." Jack, quietening his voice. All nodded, Jack pulled a blanket up on Claire and Charlie, while Sayid and Shannon moved onto the other settee. The rest spread out on the floor in front of them, Hurley, Ana, Sawyer, Kate then Jack. Sawyer gave Kate a cheeky grin, at which she shuffled sideways, quite noticeably to him, and ended up against Jack, Sawyer knew it was lost cause, even though he wasn't being serious anyways and turned the other direction and tried it with Ana. A loud smack, a groan, and cursing were heard then sawyer turned back onto his back. Soon one by one they dropped off quietly.

Thank you EVERYBODY who reviewed please keep it up! They're all positive which is good. I'm trying to get one chapter up each night, but with work soon to be piling up it might be hard to keep it up every night, but you never know.


	5. Situations

**Yey!**

It was 4am, the sun was barely on the horizon but small shafts of early light were splashing through the gap in the curtains onto the mass of bodies strewn across the room.

Charlie and Claire who had the first to hit the hay, where still soundly sleeping away, and had slumped from their sitting position to a...well...all you could really call it was 'arms and legs everywhere' position, but whatever comfort worked for them...

Sayid and Shannon had pretty much stayed in the same place, and had surprisingly refrained from tearing too much clothing off each other, and looked peaceful, Shannon resting against his chest, with his arms protectively wrapped around her.

The ones in the middle didn't really have much of space to move, Hurley was lying on his back, Ana too with her arms crossed, it seemed she knew how to be threatening even in her sleep, then again she was next to sawyer. He on the other hand was open to anything lying on his back with his arms lazily behind his head.

As if by her senses Kate awoke. Checking her watch first, 4.03am. _God...so early...why wake up this early! _Then she realised Jack wasn't there. She sat up, no hesitation, forgetting tiredness and complaint, looking around she saw him in the armchair looking out the slot in the curtains. He hadn't noticed her.

Jack woke up early…too early for his liking, although he would have to get used to it if he wanted to become a surgeon. But that wasn't what was on his mind. Kate. They had always been friends, good friends, the best of friends, but now it seemed different. It felt like through growing up together their relationship was progressing too, possibly to more than just friends, and that's what scared him. He didn't want to lose her, he didn't want to do something rash and lose the best friend he had ever had.

But what could he do, sooner or later something would happen, he would either have to talk to her and hope she didn't freak out or bury the feelings completely and hope for the best. "Hormones..." He said to himself quietly, shaking his head. He turned his head back to his sleeping friends and noticed that Kate was sitting up and watching him.

He got up from the chair, smiled, and walked over and sat back down against the settee, " Hey, what you doing awake this early?"

"You weren't there...I thought there might be something wrong, are you alright?" Kate asked she knew something was on his mind.

"Yeah, I'm fine, nothings wrong." He replied, but it didn't sound convincing, he was mentally kicking himself now.

She knew him too well, something was up, and worse he wasn't confiding in her. That meant something was DEFINATELY wrong.

He saw her thinking, and knew that she probably wasn't convinced at all, and maybe hurt that he hadn't told her, so he drew an arm around her and brought her into a hug, Kate wrapping a arm across him and burying her head into his chest. He had to do it soon. "Kate?"

"Uhuh" She said sleepily, and he watched as her eyelids drooped.

_Ok now isn't the time_, he thought to himself, "Never mind." Resting himself down, with Kate still attached and now asleep.

It was Saturday. The gang got up around 10, had breakfast, and everyone headed home for to get washed and changed and arranged to meet down on the beach at 1. Sayid and Shannon got down to the beach at first, and not seeing anyone there already, sat down near the water, hands entwined. Sayid leaned over and placed a kiss on her lips, just lightly, but then their fiery sides began to awaken, moving what was a small peck to a passionate kiss. Forgetting where they were, he leaned her back into the sand.

"Whoah whoah whoah! PEOPLE! Public beach! Get a room!" Sawyer yelled at the startled couple. Who looked kind of embarrassed at being intruded by Sawyer.

"Sorry...kind of got caught in the moment." Sayid stood up helping Shannon with him.

"Yeah, I bet you did." Sawyer grinned and winked at Sayid who looked like he just about wanted to kill Sawyer for that sleazy comment, but was calmed by Shannon and the kissing ensued once more.

"Arr, Jeez..." Sawyer winced.

"Hey. What are they doing?" Ana walked up from behind. Looking at the tangle that was the couple.

"Each other. Right here. Right now...well would have been if I hadn't turned up." He told her laughing.

Soon Jack, Kate, Claire, and Charlie turned up to meet the rest, just a tad late.

"How long did you want to take!" Sawyer started as soon as they arrived.

"We didn't mind waiting." Shannon shouted over Sawyer.

"Well you two wouldn't, would you?" He spat back.

"Hey! Calm down. We're here to relax from all the hard work we have…its the weekend." Jack tried to calm the situation.

"Where's Hurley?" Ana asked curiously.

"Oh, he cant come...something...family...I dunno." Charlie answered.

"Oh well...come on then." Ana finished.

The group spent the day on the coast, spending time just hanging out on the beach, taking a little time off the increasing amount of study that was being forced upon them. The first month or so had been deceiving, work seemed easy, not much homework, hardly any pressure, now things were heating up, that was what made it very different to their high school lives. First exams were due for late January and rumours were spreading around the college of something special happening after, but as of yet nothing was confirmed.

While all the girls discussed what it could be, the guys got out a football and began to throw it around. Charlie who had never thrown a football before was learning from Sayid how to get to grips with it, showing him the best techniques for a good throw. First few attempts were fine and the more they played he got better, even to the point where they played 2 on 2…until Sawyer nearly knocked him out with an unexpected tackle. After that the game got simple…throwing.

The girls uninterested by the learning curve of football started discussing the rumours.

" Ooooh, maybe it's a party!" Claire said eyes widening.

"Nah if it was that simple we would have been told." Shannon added.

"Its probably just more work." Ana said pessimistically.

"Actually I wouldn't be surprised." Kate replied and laughed.

Shannon started to laugh, and then Claire joined in, "Did you…see that!" Shannon said and burst out laughing once more.

The throwing of the ball was getting boring for Jack and the thoughts in his head from the previous night returned, he looked over to the girls and saw they were still discussing…

"Jack!" Sayid shouted.

BAM! The ball slammed straight into his head, and knocked him backwards into the sand, by a hard throw by Sawyer, who was now a heap on the floor with laughter. Holding his head, he stood back up and looked back over to the girls, of which Shannon and Claire were holding each other trying to recompose themselves.

Kate and Ana looked on oblivious then noticed the clutching of the head and the ball at his feet.

"Did history just repeat itself?" Ana asked beginning to laugh as well.

"All we need now is a hug off Kate and its flashback to when you were 3 year olds." Sawyer piped up.

Right then, beeping sound was heard, then Ana got her phone out. Checking it she found a txt from Hurley.

"Hey listen up, Hurley says he has something very important to tell us on Monday…that's it…I wonder what that's about." She read the txt, then looked confused.

**Next time... Hurleys 'thing' revealed, the rumours explained. Keep up the reviewing:D**


	6. Numbers

**Ok first of all, sorry about the wait, the weekend was a bit mad, and then the website wouldn't let me on. Secondly, the main ship of this story is Jate, just so you know, but I try to keep the others in there too.**

Monday came, and after receiving more information from Hurley, they turned up in the place that he had organised for them to meet. The rest of them had decided to meet first then go together to wait on the steps outside the college, Hurley had pre-warned them to keep their congregation to themselves, which had excited them more, about what he had to tell. They had even kept speculation to themselves, deciding it was more considerate of his feelings, in case something bad had happened.

So here it was half eight, outside college, waiting for Hurley to turn up, everyone looking appropriately dishevelled. College + early morning a lot of moaning and yawning.

Claire and Shannon were sitting down on one of the steps heads together and looked like they were about to fall asleep, Kate was beside them and yawned slowly,

" Why so early, college is hard enough without being here half an hour earlier." She looked like she could easily join Shannon and Claire on the verge of collapse.

Ana looked brightly awake, and was relaxing on the sloped wall beside them while the three out of the four guys stood around facing them, and Charlie happily sitting on the floor poking a bug.

" Because I need to warn you." Hurley came up from behind and surprised everyone. "What I'm going to tell you must go no further than us, in fact it shouldn't even be discussed, but it has to, just this once."

"What's going on, man?" Ana asked her friend, sitting up.

"Ok, this may take awhile but here it goes...I had this dream." He stopped for a second to check that everyone was willing to take him serious from what he had started with. "It was real weird, and there was the crazy dude, who was like repeating these numbers..." he continued but was interrupted.

"Numbers?" Sayid asked looking across to him from where he was standing.

"Yeah, over and over, 4 8 15 16 23 42, like he was in a trance, complete weird stuff, just like dreams always are...then I went to put the lottery on, and while thinking of what numbers to play, I remembered my dream, so I stuck the numbers on, and I..." He didn't even get to say it.

"You won the lottery!" Shannon questioned him, her eyes lighting up at the thought of money.

"Yeah right..." Charlie said then looked round the group, everyone was just staring at Hurley, not in a disbelieving way, but with interest, then he looked back to Hurley, to see that he was not joking. Hurley nodded.

" No way! You won the lottery?...you must be like, soooooo lucky. Wow! Hey that's great, isn't it...guys?" Charlie turned back to the group who were still silent but looking confused at Hurley. Hurley did not look happy, not like someone should be when they win the lottery. No. He looked traumatised.

"So, what's the problem?" Jack finally said something.

"I don't know...something's...just not right about it." Hurley finished.

"Don't worry, you get used to it, believe me..." Shannon said. She knew all about having money, when her father had been alive she lived like a princess but then he died just before the end of high school, and her stepmother had basically rejected her and left her to fend for herself. Then she had met Sayid, fallen in love and moved in together over summer.

Hurley looked like he was having trouble believing that, and shrugged.

"Oh well...what's done is done, but don't worry we will stay quiet." Jack patted him on the shoulder.

The morning started off quiet but nearing lunch, there were not only one rumour but two flying around the college. Apparently, despite Hurley's efforts to keep his situation hushed, the numbers and the winner had been printed in the local paper, which someone had brought in, to clarify whether it was the Hugo Reyes that studied in their campus. Once it had been, the word spread fast! And he was bombarded with questions to the point that he left at dinner and didn't come back for the rest of the day. Also what everyone had been talking about for the past few weeks had been finally confirmed. The secret that had been kept from them was that there was going to be a prom early after Christmas. The girl population went mad. In February. Even sooner than they had expected! The 14th of February. Insert lots of screaming.

The Girls 

" OH MY GOD! PROM IS ON VALENTINES DAY!" Shannon screamed at Claire, Kate and Ana. Claire joined in, while Kate laughed at them and Ana looked distraught.

"Why aren't you two screaming!" Shannon shouted at them looking offended.

"I don't have a date." Kate said simply.

"Its...a prom..." Ana, whispered. She had as of yet not made a run for the door.

Claire and Shannon stopped and just looked at Kate.

"What?" Kate replied to there look.

"Come on Kate. We know you're not THAT stupid." She just stared back at them; she knew they were talking about Jack but didn't want to admit it. "Duuuuh! JACK! We've seen the way you guys have been lately." Claire teased with a smile.

"Yeah, well...what about you and Charlie eh?" Kate said, right back at her. Trying, praying, hoping that the conversation topic would change.

Claire blushed slightly, and then laughed, "So that's how you want to play this then." She said starting to get an evil grin on her face.

"Oh god, what have I got myself into..." Kate knew this would end up embarrassing somehow on her behalf.

The guys

The guys were in the changing rooms once again, Jack, Sawyer and Sayid changing for practice and Charlie sitting on one of the benches, and had come to the discussion of prom also.

You do realise that by now the girls will be jumping around, screaming, shouting, giggling, dancing, planning...ahh plotting!" Sawyer said with a panicked look.

"Yeah, Ooooh I can just imagine it now, how beautiful Shannon will looking in her dress." Sayid said after laughing at Sawyers end.

"Yeah, I think you should go join the girls after saying that." Sawyer quipped sarcastically. "Big choice...who to ask...hmmm. Kate? Claire? Or Ana Lulu?" Sawyer turned to the wall smirking after seeing the not so subtle responses from Jack, and Charlie. He thought he would push it a bit more. "So Jacko, who you gonna take?"

"I...I don't know." Jack stuttered.

"And you?" He said to Charlie.

"Er...I was thinking of...sort of...asking...Claire..." He trailed off, mumbling.

"Sawyer." Sayid gave him a look.

"What!" He replied trying to do his 'innocent' look.

"Just stop. I can see what your doing." Sayid said sternly.

"Ok, ok, just having a little fun. Bear in mind that this is nothing compared to what the girls are going to be like." Sawyer stopped his game, then remembered prom in high school. The look that then came across his face caused the other three to laugh.

Next time…Christmas is here. And Hurley returns. Please review, it makes me feel all warm and fluffy inside :D Thanks.


	7. Christmas Traditions

**Thank you! Lots n lots n lots for reviews.**

The months between then and Christmas flew past. Hurley had returned to education, and to stop from being harassed, the college had threatened that if anyone questioned him about his win they would be thrown off their courses. So his life had returned to normal…well as normal as it could get. Prom had pretty much been discussed to death and with less time to go people were excited.

Charlie had got up the guts to finally ask Claire on a date. He was planning on asking her to prom but with nerves it came out wrong, instead asking her out, to which she said yes before he could correct himself, and was quite surprised. With his confidence and assertiveness growing he finally got the words out right and asked her to prom as well.

Sayid and Shannon were as usual crazy about each other in the most visual and vocal ways possible, in whichever situation it arose.

Sawyer had asked Ana Lucia to prom and was returned with a black eye, to which everyone else found hilariously funny. Ana was not happy about prom but had already decided to herself that when it came to the day she was just going to go with him anyways.

And Jack still hadn't talked to Kate. He was hoping that with the festive period he could get some quality time with her to get the words out, and hope for the best.

The group had got together to watch a movie, and were busy discussing Hurley's recent weird antics more than concentrating on the movie itself.

"I swear I saw those numbers wrote on the back of one of his books." Charlie said.

"Yeah, he was whispering them the other day as well." Sayid mentioned.

"Maybe he's trying to start a music career. Be a rock star!" Sawyer got up and stood on the settee and started to air guitar and sing, Charlie got up beside him and started to hum a bass riff to go with it, "4! 8! 15! 16..." Kate threw a cushion at him, which knocked him off balance. "Hey what was that for?" He said, trying to act hurt, which made her laugh and shake her head at him. Charlie was still going until Claire gave his leg a tug to get him down.

"And on a different note, that film we were 'watching' just finished without us noticing…so what was it about?" Shannon asked the others, getting various different replies.

"Horses?" Kate started.

"Rabbits?" Sawyer added.

"Polar bears?" Charlie was thinking.

"Guns?" Ana Lucia asked.

"Whatever, I'll turn it off." Jack said, getting up and turning it off.

"Christmas soon! Yey!" Claire cheered.

"Oh yeah, I've been meaning to ask you all for a while, you are all invited to Christmas dinner if you haven't got any other plans, that is." Jack asked the entire group, "Oh and could you ask Hurley if you see him." He asked Ana Lucia. She nodded in response.

Everybody liked this idea and were positive that it would go ahead.

Christmas morning arrived, Kate woke up at first as normal, and then it hit her it was Christmas day. She headed down stairs to the kitchen where her parents were preparing breakfast, gave both a hug and wished them merry Christmas, and told them she was popping next door to give Jack his present.

"Don't you think you're a bit early this year, its only 9, he'll still be asleep?" Her mom asked her.

"He wont be asleep for long." She replied, grinning. "I'll be back for breakfast." She went through to the living room where she picked up the present that was for Jack and headed off next door.

When she got there, Jacks mom came over to her, gave her a hug, and told her that Jack wasn't up yet, when she saw glint in Kate's eyes, she knew that her son was going to be awake soon, whether he liked it or not. Kate took to the stairs leaping two at a time then slowing as she came to his door, she turned the handle slowly, allowing the door to minimally creak, and tip toed across his room to his bed.

The same thing had been going on for the past 15 years; this year was no different, except for one thing…

Kate got a grip on the duvet ready to whip it off and jump on the bed. She mentally counted to 3, and then tore it off to find…pillows?

"Huh?" She said to herself looking confused.

"Got you!" Jack shouted pouncing from behind and tackling her, laughing uncontrollably.

Kate hadn't expected it, not knowing what had hit her, and then found herself giggling. She had never thought once in all the years that one day he would get the better of her.

"Hey! And what would you have done if your present was breakable!" She said to him, trying to calm down.

"Er…Well then, I would have…given you this!" He said, ducking down and pulling a package from under his bed.

"Ooooh!" Kate's eyes widened. "Ok go on, open yours."

He started to tear the paper off and started to smile. He held up a football shirt of his favourite team, which had been signed by the whole team. "Wow, how did you…"

"My dad knew some people…connections." She said happy that he liked it.

She started to unwrap her own present now, and found a box. She opened it to find a silver heart shaped necklace and noticed a joint and opened it to find a picture of her and Jack from the last day of high school, and on the other side the picture of them that they had shown everyone from the album when they were three. She felt like she was about to melt.

"Jack, this is beautiful! Thank you!" She said and launched herself at him wrapping her arms around him and held on tightly. He held her back and rested his head on hers.

They moved apart slightly, still holding each other, he was looking her in the eyes, while she was still staring down. He wanted her to look at him so he could try and tell what she was thinking, but then she brought her head up and kissed him. He was caught by surprise at first, but then responded, keeping it slow, letting her know he wasn't freaking out. She brought her arms down and looked up at him and smiled, "Well, I guess I'll see you later for dinner." He loosened his grip letting his hand glide down her arm as she backed away and turned to the door. He headed downstairs to the kitchen and sat down in a chair.

"What's with you?" His mom asked him. "Did Kate give you something nice?"

"Yeah, she did." He replied, still smiling.

Around two o'clock, everyone turned up at Jacks house, Kate with her parents, Charlie and Claire with her mom, Sawyer with his, Sayid and Shannon came, Ana Lucia and her mom, and Hurley with his. Inside a huge table was set up with enough places for everyone, all the teens down one end so they could talk and the adults up the other. They ate their share of the large turkey that was in the middle, except Kate who just had everything except that, everyone pulled crackers and had fun, then exchanged gifts. While the parents stayed at the table, the group moved to the next room, where for Sayid and Shannon they felt more comfortable not being watched by everyone's parents while making out. Hurley sat down beside Sayid and patted him on the back laughing.

Claire and Charlie were sitting together hand entwined, whispering to each other, almost childishly, but it made them look cute together, where as Sawyer was trying to chat Ana Lucia up, which she replied by bashing him over the head by a cracker, but in a less threatening way than usual, and she was laughing at him in a friendly way while he tried to defend himself.

Kate looked over to Jack, who smiled and motioned for her to come over, she got up from her seat and sat down beside him. He stuck his arm around her shoulders and hugged her.

"Hey what's going on here?" Sawyer stopped flailing his arms around looked over.

"Shut up!" Ana Lucia did just that and shoved the cracker in his mouth.

Claire noticed this and gave Ana Lucia the thumbs up. _Part 1 of the plan – complete!_ Claire thought to herself and turning back to Charlie.

**Ok its up to you do you want some New Year fun or skip straight to the prom?**


	8. New Years Fun

**New Year fun it is! Ah Sawyer is useful for so many comedy elements lol**

It had been organised that Kate's parents would spend the New Year next door while they had her house to see it through in their own fashion. They had everything planned, food, alcohol, and fireworks. New Year was going to go of with a bang.

Boxing day had been a day of questions. First and most important subject was Hurley; they desperately wanted to know what was going on with their friend.

"Hey, Hurley, you feeling alright at the moment?" Kate had been the first to ask him.

"Yeah you've been acting kind of strange." Charlie stuck his opinion in.

"Nice and subtle…" Sawyer had said sarcastically to Charlie.

"Yeah, yeah, everything's fine, just things were a bit weird after the Christmas tree caught on fire which then, you know, set the cat on fire," He cringed. "Who ran out into the garden and blew the car up…oh you didn't know about the car? Yeah there was an oil leak…" Hurley filled in the blanks, to the group that had their jaws dragging the floor. They decided to leave it there for then.

Second hazing of the day, Jack and Kate, who were separately questioned, the rest trying to get as much information out of them as possible and hoping that one or the other would let something slip that might give them an advantage. Luckily for them both pretty much came out with the same answers, mostly containing the words no equalling _Yes_, nothing which meant _something_, and just friends, which of course meant _more than..._but that's the best that they could get at the time.

Everyone arrived early at Kate's, going straight through the house to the back garden, where there was a BBQ set up, reclining seats, and an area on the grass where the fireworks would be set off later.

"Oooh what's cookin'?" Sawyer asked eagerly, in his first steps through the front door.

"Jacks got a BBQ going...sausages." Kate laughed at his fast paced walk, then, in the direction of the smell. She followed him through, Claire and Charlie were already there and were amusedly watching as Jack took to the defence and swatted Sawyers fingers away from the sausages with the spatula. Kate joined in the laughing, "Sawyer cant you wait?"

"Does it look like I can wait? I'm putting up with having my fingers crushed with a hot flipper thing, I think I'm willing..." Still trying to dodge Jacks movements, which were starting to get sloppy as he laughed at the concentrated look on Sawyers face.

Five minutes later, Hurley turned up closely followed by Sayid, Shannon and Ana Lucia. Once the sausages were eventually cooked Sawyer grabbed a whole load of them and hoarded them till he ate the current one in his grip, it was a good job that a lot had been cooked, so that the rest could get a share also.

The sky had turned an inky black/blue colour, stars starting to appear, it was a clear night, which was good, signalling the time to light the lanterns that were hanging on the wall.

"Wow, it looks really spooky and cool." Shannon said while looking at her friends in the dim light of the lamps. Her and Sayid had sat down on one of the reclining chair leaning it back so they had a view of the sky; she was sitting in between his legs resting against his chest.

"Yeah..." Sayid replied, prodding her sides making her jolt, which then turned into a very excited kissing fit.

Sawyer, who just seemed to have the worst luck when it came to them two, was also sitting in a reclining chair and began trying to hop the chair sideways, away from the pair stopping closer to Ana Lucia, who was sitting in a chair. He gave her a cheeky wink, so she through her last remaining sausage at him, and with his quick reflexes he caught it and began happily munching away again.

Claire and Charlie were sitting on a porch swing, gently kicking it to give it a rhythm, and were staring at the sky; hands clasped together stealing a kiss every now and then.

Hurley had joined Sawyer and Ana Lucia now. She had dragged him in to the discussion of whether or not Sawyer was a pervert, at which Sawyer took up a defence.

"Its chaaarrm!" Sawyer chanted.

"There's nothing charming about seeing the 'sleazy cogs' in your brain sliding into gear." Ana Lucia couldn't help but laugh at his incessant statement.

Kate had gone back inside to the kitchen to take the plates in, Jack had followed her planning on using that time to talk to her. He walked in.

"Hey." He said getting her attention.

"Hey." She said back smiling.

"I was wondering if I could talk to you about prom..." He started, looking down suddenly at his feet. _Oh my god how lame do I sound? Get a grip jack._ He was mentally slapping himself.

"Sure." She was starting to get a grin creep up on her watching jack see such an interest in the floor, but she was trying to suppress it for Jack's sake.

"Ok, might as well just get it out..." He said coming back up and looking at her. "Would you like to go to prom with me?" cringing slightly at his stupidity.

"Of course I will, Jack." She said confidently.

"Really?" He was just being stupid now.

Kate laughed at him, "Come on, we need to get you a drink, Sawyer can set the fireworks off." She grabbed him by the hand and dragged him outside, picking up a beer and forcing it towards him.

Five minutes to midnight everyone had a drink near by, and sawyer was kneeling beside the fireworks, getting them ready. He got the fuse that connected them all and lead it towards the group who were now all standing together. Jack who was now contently calm after having a few drinks was holding the radio, because the countdown was going to be held on the local radio station.

The countdown began, **_10_**, they began the chant along with it, and Sawyer lit the 15 second fuse, **_9_**, **_8, 7_**, **_6_**, Kate took hold of Jacks free hand, and he returned it by wrapping his other arm around her, **_5_**, **_4_**, Sawyer had one arm across Ana Lucia's shoulder and the other across Hurley's, just about bouncing with excitement, **_3_**, Sayid and Shannon were pre-celebration kissing, **_2_**, and Claire and Charlie were simply holding each other, **_1_**…

A loud cheer rang through the air, through the speakers of the radio and from them.

"HAPPY NEW YEAH!" All of them shouting in unison and jumping around.

Shannon and Sayid slumped back into the nearest seat, lips locked, never ending movement. Hands beginning to unwittingly roam. For once nobody was paying enough attention to complain.

Claire and Charlie shared a short kiss, and then ran over to an alone Hurley to jump and scream madly with him as the fireworks were shooting off in the background.

Sawyer had been taken by surprise. As soon as the countdown had ended Ana Lucia had grabbed tight hold of him, whipped him round and kissed him, leaving room for no hesitation what so ever. He had quickly returned the gesture, thinking that it was better than being hit with something for once. Actually scared that if he didn't, just that would happen.

When it hit zero Jack screamed and shouted along with everyone, looked to see Kate turn round shouting in celebration. Right then he pulled her in close and kissed her. She moved her arms up around his neck and responded deepening the kiss to further than it had gone before. They broke apart when they were ready and joined the rest of the currently moving people.

Sawyer grabbed the crate of beer, after finishing his first round of tonsil tennis with Ana Lucia, passing out drinks to everyone placing two beside Shannon and Sayid, who gave him the thumbs up, while making no effort to part lips with Shannon.

They partied on for at least the next two and a half hours, music blasting, shouting, dancing, mostly drunkenly, moving back inside the house later, till one by one they tired out and slumped down somewhere to rest there legs, which progressed onto alcohol induced sleep.

From now on though, majority of their time would have to be focused on revision for the up and coming exams, but at least they had something good to look forward to at the end of it. Prom.

**Im not actually sure what to think about that…but if you like it that's good.**

**I don't think I'll be able to get the next chapter up tonight saying as I have a feeling its going be looooong…well longer. Please review, any tips, or criticism that could help my writing feel free to spill. :D**


	9. The Prom

**Thank you for all reviews and thanks for waiting for this update too, I've had a lot going on recently so hopefully from now on it will be back to normal.**

Panic was the most common emotion shared amongst the first years, and for so many reasons. First thing coming up, exams, the obviously thing to have a minor breakdown over. Work, writing, reading, rubbish...oh yeah and that dire three and a half hour paper its all done on. Second thing on everyone's mind was prom. Shops were buckling under the demand for dresses, and were booming with business, but the students were in the middle of a fashion war for the best dress, best suite, best everything, and with less and less time the reason for speed was growing. But the least important matter was dates. The girls had gone boy watch crazy, any girl who had a date had to keep a close eye on them and anyone that didn't was sure to be on the prowl. Prom meant a lot to the girls. But their own lives meant more to the guys.

It was Monday before the prom, and there had already been a weeks worth of exams and another four, or for some five, days more of them. The group having left everything to the last minute had planned to go shopping after that day's morning exam. Jack, Kate, Sayid and Sawyer had a maths exam, and Claire and Shannon had short textiles one, Ana, Hurley and Charlie had managed to escape without one for that day and waited outside the exam rooms for them.

Little over an hour Claire and Shannon appeared, and joined the rest in trying to find something to amuse themselves with for the next hour at least. It was easier enough for the reunited Claire and Charlie but for the rest not so much.

The doors swung open and the first of the students swarmed out, in a seemingly 'Run like hell!' fashion. The four stumbled out after the crowd.

"Oh my god! Kill me! Kill me now!" Kate pleaded. "That was waaaaay too long to be sitting in one place." She started to pace.

Jack was smiling and he was returned with confused looks. "What? It wasn't that bad..."

"Speak for yourself, I could think of better things to do with two hours of my time." He looked over to Ana and winked and was treated to a glare. There relationship was still love/hate, even after new years.

"I have to agree with Jack." Sayid said looking up from his notes. Also taking a look at Kate who was still trying to pace off the exam stillness.

"Only cause you love with maths..." Sawyer shot at him. "Er...Kate you can stop moving now...I'm getting dizzy."

"Ok let's get going, lots of shopping to do." Shannon got up from where she was sitting on the floor, loving the idea of shopping, manic look on her face and basically ripping Sayid's arm out of its socket, as she grabbed his hand and headed for the exit.

They got into town and stopped for a minute.

"Right we'll meet back here at..." Jack looked at his watch. "Four. Ok?" He asked looking round everyone. Everyone nodded back in reply. The group split so that the girls could go off and do their thing and the guys theirs.

The Girls 

They had already been looking for an hour, Shannon was a complete high speed shopaholic, going through everything in a matter of seconds, Claire not far behind, Oooh-ing and ahh-ing at just about anything, Kate was picky so some things interested her others just plain bored the hell out of her, and Ana was livid, she knew it had to be done and she hated that.

Shannon had no problems getting a few dresses together to try on. She obviously had a plan of what she was looking for and for her luck there was enough choice. Every now and then she would run away to a changing room try everything on, in different combinations with bags and shoes that she as picking up on the way, then picking out her favourite and keeping tight a hold. This went on in all the shops they had tried in the first two hours, slowly narrowing down her search but also gathering a lot of clothing that she was in love with, which was a bad thing because she could only pick one at the end of the day.

Claire wasn't much different, although she had a more defined search, if she wasn't sure she wouldn't pick it up just for the simple fact to avoid temptation and a lot of problems afterwards. It didn't actually take Claire that long to find a dress that she liked and when she went to try it on, she knew that it was the one. The dress went down to her knees and was quite slim fitting with shoulder straps. It was pale blue and accentuated her eyes. After that she went on her last mission to find shoes.

Kate didn't have a clue in the world what she wanted. She would rarely...in fact never...where dresses...well not since maybe a wedding when there was no way out. She was lost. There were so many different types to choose from but every dress she saw she just couldn't say she liked it, and couldn't see it working at all. Claire had taken a break from looking at shoes to help her for a bit but then gave up after still not making any progress. It had to be something that she fully liked, if it was anything else then she would be unsure, then it would be too late, she wouldn't have a dress and wouldn't be able to go to prom. She didn't even want to think about the fact that after finding the dress she would then have to hunt for shoes...and then a bag...and then she'd have to get makeup sorted. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! She was literally screaming in her head, cause it was about to explode.

Ana Lucia was not a happy bunny. She was worse than Kate. She didn't want a dress for a start, and she didn't even want to think about what would come after it. Luckily after Claire given up on Kate and had found a pair of shoes, she decided she'd give giving Ana Lucia a helping hand a go. Even though she was more reluctant to be in a dress she wasn't as bothered about style or colour just so long as the experience would be over and done with...and also because she just generally didn't care. Soon they found something that she classed as 'ok' at which Claire jumped and whooped with the tiny little bit optimism, and readily grabbed and dragged her to a changing room. The dress was a simple, black number, which despite Ana's protests suited her. Because Claire had nothing left to do, she decided to take over getting her shoes...it would be quicker that way.

The girls met back up again after Ana Lucia and Claire had bought their items.

"Where's you dress?" Shannon asked Kate when she saw no bags in tow.

"Where's yours?" She snapped right back. "Sorry..."

"We're coming back tomorrow, see if we can find anything." Claire said. "I take it your coming too saying as you haven't bought anything?"

"Yeah, I just need to pick the final one out...out of...15..." Shannon trailed away from the conversation.

The Guys 

The guys headed off to get measured, deciding it best to get suits that actually fit them. Charlie was up on a stool while the woman took his measurements, giving him orders every now and then.

"So how long do you think the girls will be shopping?" Charlie asked turning his body slightly.

"Stand still!" The woman barked at him.

"Sorry..." Charlie turned back. While the rest laughed at his scared expression.

"A long, long, long, did I mention long? Long time..." Sayid answered him.

"I think that's just Shannon actually." Sawyer said to Sayid.

"Maybe Claire too, she was kind of bouncing up and down beside me with excitement on the way here." Charlie didn't turn round this time, just in case. The woman was now trying to take his arm length, which his arm was starting to droop from having it up so long. The Woman grabbed hold of his arm and shoved it back into place again, much to the dislike of Charlie.

"So, Hurley I heard you hooked moonbeam for the prom." Sawyer wanting to up the ante on the conversation, pushing the boundaries."

"Moonbeam?" Jack, Sayid, and a restrained Charlie all chorused.

"Yeah, that Libby chick from the party." Sawyer said grinning; loving that he just gave the spill on gossip.

"Oh." Jack, and Sayid turned to Hurley for conformation. He nodded then looked down.

"Nice one." Sayid said to him trying to make him feel better.

Charlie was finally let down and walked back over to the rest.

"Sawyer your up." Charlie said, relieved that he was finally off and now Sawyer could stand there forever...well of course just till he was done.

He groaned and moved off to the stool, being immediately pounced on by the woman.

"While we're still on the topic of dates, I hear your going with Kate." Sayid turning to face Jack, who gave him an instant 'how do you know?' look. Sayid read this look easily. "Shannon. Kate told Shannon."

"Oh." That one simple word was all that was needed to confirm it as true.

Jack lowered his head to the floor, and Sayid winked at Charlie, telling him everything he needed to know about what had just happened.

Charlie began to laugh making Jack look up again.

"Duuuuuude you are sooo easy to get information out of!" Charlie basically collapsed on the floor laughing, clutching his sides. He recomposed himself immediately, as Jack gave him a threatening look and stood up from where he was sitting. Charlie sidestepped behind Hurley.

"Ok. Jack please don't kill me..."

"So, she didn't say a thing?" Jack asked Sayid.

He shook his head in reply.

"No. But you did my friend." Sawyer strode back over, grinning, having heard the whole conversation anyways. "Your up next Jacko."

Jack took the opportunity to get away from the gossip.

"Actually I feel slightly bad now..." Sayid said his conscience creeping back up.

"Good!" Jack shouted from the other side of the room making Hurley laugh.

After Jack was done, Hurley was next and while he was being squeezed, prodded and poked, Jack, Sawyer, Sayid and Charlie saw the girls move from one shop to the next without any bags in tow.

"How is that possible? That has to be, what, their third shop and they still haven't bought anything." Sawyer incredulously.

Sayid looked on confused at why his obsessive shopper of a girlfriend had not yet acquired to many bags that were possible to carry.

"Did you see Ana Lucia? She was basically being dragged along by Shannon and Claire." Charlie finding that sight very amusing began his laughing fit again.

"I'm sure he's on something…" Sawyer stated looking at the heap that was Charlie.

At Four 

The guys arrived back at the entrance on time and with no sight of the girls. Five minutes passed and still the girls had not returned.

"Do you think we should go looking for them?" Jack asked getting worried easily.

Sawyer rolled his eyes at him. "They're girls and they've gone shopping, what do you expect?"

"Oh God…" Charlie just stared.

"What?" Jack didn't see it at first, then… "Oh shit…RUN!"

The girls had come running around the corner full belt, Claire and Ana had bags in tow, and Shannon and Kate coming up the rear empty handed. It was only when the girls had gotten level with them that Jack had seen the angry gang of girls coming round the corner themselves that he had shouted for them to run. Despite the threat, everyone was having trouble controlling their laughter while being chased by the mob.

They managed to outrun the hoard of teens, and escape to Jacks, literally falling through the doorway, collapsing as a heap of bodies in the hall; still laughing, all breathing heavily.

"What the hell was that all about?" Sawyer asked calming his breathing at looking at the girls.

"Long story…" Kate said, as Shannon and Claire were basically clutching their chests, and Ana was staying still lying on the floor.

"A lot of time." Sawyer ended the play.

"Fine. But I wasn't joking. We'd been searching everywhere, Claire got her dress fine, Ana got hers, I couldn't find anything, but Shannon just couldn't make up her mind. We were just going to come back tomorrow, but then she saw one that she liked…" she stopped and smiled, then continued. "…But so had this other girl. Next thing, I turn around and there's Shannon and this girl in a tussle, holding onto each other's hair and stuff, then her friends turned up. I went to grab Shannon to go and this girl grabbed hold of me, I turned around and punched her, Ana Lucia took a shot at the one who had Shannon, and we ran like we had a monster at our heels!" she began laughing again.

"Yeah I think monster just about sums it up." Charlie laughed.

"Are you all ok?" Sayid asked them, focusing more on Shannon though. He helped her up, whispering to her, which she found amusing.

The rest got up too. Claire and Charlie wandered off into the living room together and Hurley followed planning on checking out if anything was on TV.

"So you got a good swing in there then?" Sawyer asked Kate and Ana.

Kate laughed at his approach. "Yeah, we sure did." Ana merely nodded, still suffering PBD syndrome, otherwise known as Post Buying Dress Syndrome.

"Is your hand alright?" Jack asked Kate grabbing her hand gently and examining it.

"Yeah, its fine." She replied trying to brush it off.

"Come on, I'll stick some ice on it, stop any swelling." Pulling her along with him, not noticing her rolling her eyes and smiling at his attitude.

Prom was upon them. Everything had been sorted out, the guys all got their suits and Shannon and Kate had eventually got their dresses. It was Friday night, all the girls had gathered at Kate's, while the guys went to Jack's thinking it best for meeting after they were ready.

The guys easily got ready, pants, shirts, shoes, but there was a lot of fumbling with their ties which was sorted, when Jack's dad decided to lend a hand.

On the other side of the wall, it was a different case. There was a lot of running around panicked and 'Ahhh where's my make up' situations. But slowly they had made progress and were ready; Claire and Ana Lucia still had not seen Kate and Shannon's dresses and so waited in the hall for them to come out.

Claire felt like shoving Ana Lucia to get her to shut up as she was constantly repeating, 'I'm in a dress…I'M in a DRESS.' The lock clicked and Shannon stepped out followed by Kate.

"Wow!" That's all that Claire could say, she was starting to well up.

"I'm in a dress…" Ana Lucia just plainly said to them.

"Yeah we noticed that." Shannon said laughing at her current state.

Shannon dress trailed all the way to floor and was a creamy white colour. She had her hair pinned up and the whole style of it just suited her in ever way, even making her hair look almost golden.

Kate was wearing green to match her eyes, nice subtle tones; it was fitted to the waist then became choppy down to her knees. She didn't really have to do much with her hair to make it work, just simply hanging down around her shoulders.

The doorbell went. Which was met with the girls breaking out into giggles, bounces and screams of joy, even Ana Lucia had forgotten her fear and joined in.

"Right are we all set?" Jack asked the others.

"I'm sure I can hear them through the wall." Charlie said with his ear pressed against the wall.

"Come on I'm sure we'll hear them enough when we're actually with them." Sawyer grabbed Charlie away from the wall.

They stepped outside, walked across the adjoining garden and stopped outside the door, doing last minute checks on themselves.

Sawyer pressed the doorbell, and was confronted with a mass of screaming from the inside. They took a step back scared.

The door swung open suddenly and four grinning girls came running out hugging everyone. The girls found their dates, pairing off, apart from Hurley who was meeting Libby at the entrance of the hotel where it was being held.

"You look beautiful." That was all Charlie could manage to get out when he saw Claire, other than that he was pretty much speechless.

"Thank you…but roll up that tongue, and shove it back in there." She said to him, using her hand to close his gaping mouth, then leaning over and giving him a quick peck.

For Shannon, Sayid didn't even get to say any words to describe what he saw, instead, having being parted for a few hours, she literally jumped on him. Muffling the sound, of 'wow', which hadn't had time to full escape his lips before she was on them.

Sawyer had his eyes literally pop out at all the girls not just his date and was painfully brought back to earth by Ana Lucia nudging him.

"Wow…you look…. Amazing." Jack was another one that needed help with his words right then.

Kate blushed slightly. "You don't look that bad yourself." She returned smiling at him.

He extended his hand to her and she took it, ready to leave.

The night started off amazingly! Everybody was dressed up, and looked stunning. The hall that they had for it was huge, being able to fit in a dance floor, a band at the front, chairs and tables around the outside of the dance floor and even a buffet at the back.

As soon as they got there Hurley had found Libby and she joined hanging around with the group, but soon after they had moved to the dance floor that was crammed full of couples and singles alike. A lot of the songs by the band were pretty good to dance to, but every now and then they threw in a slow song for the couples. This had lead to more of Shannon and Sayid in their own little make out world and to Jack and Kate kissing too, at which the remaining people of the group saw and began a protest at them across people, who didn't take too kindly to it and didn't care if Jack and Kate had just kissed. Most the couples there were kissing anyways. Claire looked around at the sight and wondered to herself why her and Charlie weren't. She grabbed him at that point, catching him completely off guard.

Not long after, they went and sat down for a break and noticed that Sayid and Shannon had disappeared off together. They returned some time later looking a little more ragged and worn out than before, which started Sawyer off on a winking and whistling spree.

"Will you stop him before I do?" Sayid asked Ana Lucia.

She shrugged and started tugging and hitting at him. She rolled her eyes then pulled him round by his head and almost violently kissed him.

Not even a minute later the air was filled with screams and shouts. Jack, Sawyer who was sharply brought back to reality by this, and Sayid stood up and saw a crowd had gathered in the middle of the dance floor. Over the tops of heads they could make out Hurley near the middle. They headed towards him pushing through the crowd, which the girls jumped up and hurried after them. They got to Hurley and saw him just staring at the floor; they followed his gaze to see Libby's body lying, motionless with a pool of blood surrounding her head. Jack rushed forward to take her pulse and was then pushed out of the way by the hotels medic who had just arrived.

"What happened?" Jack asked Hurley, seeing pain in his eyes.

"Its all my fault. Its my fault." Hurley just repeated that.

Jack looked up and noticed the disco ball was missing then looked around the ground and saw it mixed in the crowd a few metres away. He winced when he thought of what must have happened.

The medic got assistance and manage to move Libby ready for the appearance of the ambulance, which when it arrived hurriedly took her and sped off into the night. The hotel manager had then come down and given a speech, about for obvious reasons their night was being cut short.

Most people were actually glad to leave after seeing such a mess; some of the girls being shaken up so badly they were in tears.

When the crowds dispersed out of the building, the group met back up after not being able to find Hurley who had completely disappeared.

**Ok please nobody kill me, its all part of the story. Lol. Please review.**

**Next time...what's up with Hurley?**

** Ducks just in case **


	10. Drunken Destruction

**Okay readers please come back now…lol**

It was unfortunate. A complete accident but Hurley wasn't seeing it that way. Libby had survived all the way through to the hospital but then had fatally crashed upon arrival, to which she could not be revived. Subsequently Hurley had locked himself away at home, ignored the group's calls, and wouldn't come out. They knew that it would take time, and because he blamed the whole thing on himself, maybe a bit longer than normal. But that's all that they could deduct from his actions, from what he had said to jack on the dance floor, and that was all they could assume on.

The college was holding a memorial assembly, on the Monday coming, stopping all lessons that day. While the service was going on the group were raking through the sea of heads trying to pick out Hurley even though if he had been there they would have seen him, they still hung to the small chance that they may have just missed him. After giving up on the search and saying their last goodbyes, they decided to just head off and go to Jacks for the rest of the day.

They had spent most of their time silent, in respect and also for the fact that words were basically just escaping them. Sitting finally on the settees. Sawyer gave up, looking at the rest, eventually bored with the depressive stillness.

"So, who wants to get drunk?" He blurted out, sitting up.

"What?" Claire shouted at him, the others who must have been in deep thought looked around slowly to the topic of conversation.

"Well...one. It might cheer us up a bit because depressed is not a good thing for me. And two. That's what people do after funeral type things."

Everyone slumped back down into the seat again, thinking whether they should or not, whether it would be right.

"Maybe he's right…" Charlie started come round on the idea.

"Actually I think I'll take you up on that too." Kate sat up and looked at Sawyer then Charlie.

"Kate!" Claire turned around to her and shouted making Charlie and Jack wince as she did it past them.

"What! I think I need one, _at least_, after all this." She replied.

Half an hour later everyone had been slowly convinced even Claire gave up in the end, and had dragged out anything they could find, Jacks parents had gone away for the week visiting family, so he had the house to himself. They stuck on some music to lighten the spirit and let themselves go, once the alcohol having affect, nobody actually cared about the music or about much at all. Drinking games began and a now tipsy Sawyer even managed to dig out a very old twister mat and started a game, which for every time they tried, didn't last very long as co-ordination wasn't one of the best attributes right at that moment. Charlie disappeared for five minutes then came back with a very well served happy kind of smile plastered across his face, stumbling over things, including Sawyer's body sprawled out on the floor.

"He got a secret stash of drink hasn't he?" Kate said to Jack, Sayid and Shannon who were standing on the other side of the room, not taking her eyes of Charlie.

The four of them all got the same idea at once, literally launching themselves right that moment towards Charlie, swiftly tackling him and knocking a wobbling Claire over. Charlie began to giggle like a 10 year old, which became contagious to the rest while still piled on him.

Sawyer got up slowly looked around only at head level, couldn't see anyone, then walked and fell onto a pile of bodies.

"Ah…that's where you guys went." Trying to act sober and sticking his finger out at them, which they all found hilarious.

Ana Lucia who had gone out of the room came back and saw the pile of people. She grinned to herself, which was noticed by the others.

"Oh no…no, no, no…" Jack started to say looking up and shaking his head.

"Uh oh..." Sawyer managed to get out, before losing all air that was in his lungs as Ana Lucia jumped and belly flopped the heap, hitting Sawyer first.

A Large groan, was let out by everyone and Kate and Shannon began squirming and screaming, while still not being able to control their laughter, as they were quite close to the bottom. The mountain of limbs broke free as Sayid decided to shift causing the whole lot to collapse into a flatter heap, and people rolled off to the sides to escape.

Kate rolled over, losing all bearings in such a simple move stopping after hitting something, opening her crossed eyes and trying to focus she saw Jack.

"Heeelllo!" She said grinning from ear to ear.

"Drink?" He slurred holding up a cup which some of the contents poured out onto him.

"Sure." She went to shakily grab the cup.

"STOLEN! Haha suckers!" Charlie ran past taking hold of the cup, and was hurriedly being chased by Sawyer who had found an old water pistol and was trying to soak him. He ran out the door into the hall, then into the kitchen coming back out the other door back into the living room. He was just running past the settee when Sawyer caught back up and flying tackled him, crashing into the settee with Sayid, Shannon and Ana Lucia currently sitting on, which toppled over backwards sending them all flying into a pile behind it.

"Do people just like to jump on me or something?" Charlie asked dazed.

The mad behaviour carried on for a few more hours before, slowly they began to get drowsy and dozed off. Claire managed to fall off to sleep in one of the most ridiculous places ever, curled up like an animal underneath one of the kitchen benches, while the rest had just stretched out all over the living room.

The living room looked like a bomb had gone off, bodies, bottles, cups, food, clothes, the few games still in one piece; just one gigantic mess.

**Sorry its short, I just wanted to get them drunk wasn't really originally planned but what the hell. Hopefully the next chapter or so, I'll get back into the swing of things.**

**Next time… the next morning, and shocking revelations.**


	11. Piecing Things Together

**Thank you for the reviews. Please keep reading. Here's chapter 11…**

Hazy. Blurry. Confused. Fuzzy. Incomplete. Bleary. That was group's state of memory after the night before.

Jack lifted his head, he was currently lying across Sawyer and Shannon, and scanned the room, with what sight and control he could muster, and groaned at what he saw. Utter destruction.

"My parents are going to kill me." He muttered to himself flopping back down, and hitting himself on the head with his hand. "Ahh, what the hell!" He touched his head again, more lightly this time and could fell a small lump on the right side of his forehead.

_Jack was now chasing a intoxicated Charlie after he had knocked the settee over, he had caught up once and had him in a grip around his throat, but had got distracted as the girls took up the task to help Charlie out by diverting Jacks attention, by starting a slow, wobbly, sexy dance. Jack came back down to earth when he realised he couldn't feel Charlie's throat in his hands anymore and went running off again. He caught up with him again heading through a door, which Charlie slammed shut, just as Jack was about to got through, crashing straight into it and falling backwards dazed at first then sinking to darkness._

He got up and headed into the kitchen, putting on the kettle and getting some ice out of the freezer for his head. When he bent down to the freezer, he saw something he didn't expect, Claire.

She was starting to stir at sound of the kettle boiling and opened her eyes slightly to look at him holding ice to his head. She looked to one side, then the other, then up.

"Jack, why am I under your bench?" She asked him, starting to smile through the stupidity of where she was.

"That, I'd like to know as well." He laughed back. "You feel ok?"

"I hope so. Hangover?" She said nodding to his ice. Slowly crawling out of her nook, and heading to a chair to sit on.

"Not so much. I ran into a door." He looked at the kitchen door. "Its stupid I know." He replied to her look of amusement. "Coffee?"

"Sure." She yawned loudly.

Charlie rolled to the side, and head butted something hard.

"Ouch." He opened his eyes and came face to face with Sayid who was still asleep, and shuffled backwards again fast.

_Charlie crept out into the hallway quietly…well as quietly as he could in his state, making sure that no one had noticed, and thankfully they didn't. Right at that point, Kate, Claire, and Ana Lucia, were busy checking out a very unconscious Jack trying to revive him, while Sawyer was trying to move him back into the living room, and judging by the red lump that was starting to form on his head he'd had quite a thump. Charlie sneaked up the stairs slowly, reaching the landing and heading for the bathroom. He stuck one hand in his pocket and the other on the door handle and pushed down. He stood there, shocked, for a second; just taking in watch he was seeing. Shannon and Sayid in a very compromising position in the shower. Shannon's eyes went to the door instantly and screamed when she saw Charlie standing there gawping._

He shuddered, and hoped that they hadn't remembered that and cursed himself for finding it in his cloudy memory. He sat up and looked around, he felt sorry for Jack with the mess and all, but he knew they would all help anyways…after college of course. _Wait a minute…COLLEGE! _He thought.

"Shit!" He looked at his watch, it was half eight, they started at nine. "Everybody UP! NOW! Otherwise we're going to be late!" He got up and screamed at the now moaning bodies.

Jack and Claire came out of the kitchen.

"Charlie what's going on…?" He started.

"We're going to be late for college if we don't get ready now!" he cut Jack off.

"Oh, dammit where my watch!" Jack yelled touching his wrist, and looking around.

Ana Lucia popped her head up from behind the over turned settee, rubbing her eyes, and trying to adjust to the commotion. She looked down and saw a watch just sticking out from under the settee. "Jack! Here's your watch." She shouted across and threw it to him.

He nodded in thanks then continued to help wake people from their drowsy states. He went over to Sayid who were stirring slightly and gave him a little shove. "Come on Sayid, we gotta get up and go."

"Ok. I'm up." He replied opening his eye to full extent to get used to the light coming through the window, and looked around and saw Sawyer lying beside a lamp that had fallen over, still trying to stay asleep by putting a pillow over his head, while Jack was shouting at him.

_Sayid was just taking a time out. He was trying to sober up a bit, after Charlie had walked in on him and Shannon, and was miserably failing, as his head was still spinning. He was just observing the weirdness that was ensuing around the room, but what caught his eye the most was Sawyer having a conversation with a lamp. He was babbling away about how hot he though it was and was just generally trying to chat it up, and then to all shock and surprise he leaned towards it and started to kiss it. He was wondering whether Sawyer was blind, hallucinating, or just plain drunk._

"If you don't get up, I'm going to smother you with that pillow! SAWYER!" Jack was trying to make progress and Sawyer was not helping. He moved on to grab him under each arm and drag him across the floor.

"Fine! Have it your way!" He yelled back at him getting up and sizing himself up against him.

"Not the time Sawyer…nor the place." Jack shook his head and turned away.

Sayid was busy waking Shannon, who was basically already awake from the Sawyer trouble, so Jack moved on the last person to wake and the one person he hadn't even seen yet around the room. He couldn't see her anywhere; he searched around the room, even checking under the settee, which was ridiculous.

He moved back into the kitchen looked around the remaining space that she could hide in, then moved out into the hallway, checked under the stairs, wasn't there either. The only place left he could think off was up stairs or nowhere.

He could hear everybody downstairs rushing around but upstairs was silent. Jack walked into the first room, his parents, checking quickly. The room was untouched. Thank god! He shut the door again, and went to the next one, the bathroom.

The bathroom was in a bit of a state, towels spread across the room, and nice large puddle in the middle, and toilet roll had been wrapped across from the toilet to the shower and back again. But still no Kate.

He moved on to the next room, his room, opening the door slowly as he had done with all the others, and looked around. And there she was, wrapped up in the duvet curled up in a ball in the middle of his bed. He walked across to the bed and sat down on the edge, she was still peacefully sound asleep. He moved a piece of hair that was dangling across her face out of the way and whispered gently to her.

"Kate. Kate, you've got to wake up. We're going to be late for college."

"Mmmph. Do I have to?" She opened one eye to look at him and smiled while stretching from the curled position.

He smiled back. "Yeah. Come on lazy." He said and ripped the duvet away.

"Coffee! Give me Coffee! Its too early in the morning!" Shannon was complaining while rushing around.

"Its ten to nine…how's that early?" Charlie asked her looking at his watch.

She shot him a look that threatened to kill him if he pushed it.

"Oookaaay." He raised his eyebrows, and felt a hand slip into his.

"You ready?" Claire asked him.

"Yeah, wana stand out side, get some fresh air?" Charlie asked her then leaned down and kissed her forehead.

She gave a nod and they left to wait outside.

Jack and Kate emerged back downstairs five minutes later, and Jack was hoping that everyone was ready to go. All was fine, Claire and Charlie were already waiting for them outside and he only had to separate Shannon and Sawyer from killing each other once before they finally left. Legging it most of the way, but then slowing to a walk once they realised they were going to be late either way.

At lunch 

"So I everybody feeling alright after last night?" Jack asked around the group who were mostly collapsed on the table.

"I'm sure we'll survive." Sayid leaned his head into his hands.

"Yeah I only got extra maths to make up for it." Sawyer sneered sarcastically.

"Well, anyways, I've got to go, need to sort out some chemistry work." Jack stood up from the table. "I'll see you later." And he left the rest to the rest of their lunch, which included no food; instead, the table was laden with many bottles of water.

"How can he be bothered to go do MORE work?" Sawyer complained. He wasn't in a very good mood what so ever.

"Jealous eh?" Kate laughed at him and nudged him sideways to annoy him.

"Yeah, sure." He just couldn't even be bothered to remark too much on it or even shove Kate back.

They went back to their lessons after lunch ended, pretty much failing to concentrate in them, earning a good few nudges from the teachers after dozing off in a particularly boring part. To them it seemed like the day was never going to end as the last lessons dragged out tediously.

Finally the day ended and the group released a collective sigh as they headed home. As the rest left off for their own homes, Sawyer and Kate stayed with Jack heading to his to help tidy up.

They managed to sort things out pretty quickly, getting the furniture back up into its correct position, picking up items that had been knocked over. Sawyer picked up the lamp, looked at it trying to remember something, shrugged when nothing came and placed it back upright. The bathroom was the biggest task, having to mop up the floor and displace the hanging toilet roll and just generally clean up the mess. It hadn't taken them as long as they thought, and with minimal moaning from Sawyer, they collapsed backwards onto the now replaced settee.

"Hopefully, they'll never notice the difference." Jack sighed, touching his lump wondering how long it would take to go down.

"What about the very big hole in the alcohol stash." Sawyer asked.

"Hmmm…I'll just tell them uncle John came over again and got drunk." Jack replied laughing. "Although there was something I found in the bathroom which was strange." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a packet that contained a brownish substance.

"What is that?" Kate asked curious.

"Heroin."

**Reviews! I love them lol So press that little button no matter what. :D**

**(TV voice)Next time on Lost…cough I mean my story… Its Easter break! **


	12. There

**Sooooo sorry for the wait. Got bombarded with a whole load of hard work, and then I ended up hitting a brick wall with this chapter, so I wrote another future chapter in that time.**

A few weeks after the incident, Hurley had still not returned to college and the group were getting worried as to what was going on. On that note they decided to go round to his house to find out what had happened to their estranged friend. When they got there Ms Reyes greeted them, then began filling them in, to an extent, telling that in Hurley's current state he could not face going to college and had gone away for a while to recuperate, with this she changed the subject to them asking how they were doing, and that was all they were getting.

As for Jack finding heroin in his house the day after the drunken shenanigans, he, Kate and Sawyer had agreed to stay quiet for the time being as they did not know in whose possession the drugs had been and it wouldn't be good to start throwing questions of the such at people.

Now it was Easter break, having had another term of hard work come to an end, Claire's parents had taken the liberty of letting the teens stay for a week in an apartment they owned in Lanzarote. The group had jumped at this idea welcoming sun, sea and sand on a hot climate island. The perfect break, away from everything. No work. No stress. No worry.

They boarded the plane, sitting down and getting comfortable, no one was nervous, they all loved flying, already getting things out that would occupy them on the flight.

Twenty minutes later they were up in the air, and the crew were getting ready to supply drinks and a movie was about to start.

"What movies on?" Sayid asked Claire who had earphones in watching the screen in front of them.

"Evolution."

"Evolution?" He asked.

"Yeah, you know the one with the aliens that's evolve into other alien things, really funny."

"Ah ok…sounds...weird." He replied, he decided to watch it when it came on.

Sawyer was already sitting with a book open, he was reading Mysterious Island by Jules Verne, and was staring at it intently, glaring at anybody who would disturb him. At first Charlie had asked him why he was reading a book about an island when they were going to one, he had replied by threatening to shove the book, once finished of course, where the sun don't shine if he didn't shut up soon, and then stated that the island they were going to wouldn't be inhabited by monsters and hopefully they wont end up adopting an orangutan. Charlie had found the last bit very entertaining.

The rest had all either got out earphones, or purchased some, and were watching the movie, every now and then letting out laughs at the humour and causing sawyer to mutter to himself.

An hour or so later, they burst out laughing, once again.

"Oh my god this song rules!" Kate shouted, maybe a bit louder than she would have if she hadn't had earphones in.

The group, collectively, started to sing along.

"Yeah there was, Dancin' and singin' and movin' to the groovin'  
And just when it hit me somebody turned around and shouted  
Play that funky music white boy  
Play that funky music right" They all tried to hit the high notes, some turning to screeches. Some of the cabin crew were looking a bit put off, but most of the other passengers were quite amused, watching the teens sing along to an old 70's song.

The movie ended not long after then food was brought out. Shannon let out a groan that mirrored what the rest were thinking too, all except Kate who had happily ripped off the plastic covering and was digging in, she looked up to see, Shannon, Jack and Claire staring at her.

"What? Its good food." She said, turning and shovelling in another sausage, with mash potato on it.

Everyone had silently agreed, that she could finish their food off, when they had finally gave up prodding and poking at it.

Lunch, another movie and lots of boredom later they landed in Arrecife airport, stepping out of the door and being hit by a wave of hot air and sunshine. A shared sigh of contentment was released at this.

After collecting luggage, they quickly headed of to get taxis to the apartment.

"Right four in one taxi…" Jack said pointing to Kate, Claire and Charlie who were standing near him, "…and obviously four in the other." Gesturing towards Ana Lucia, Sawyer, Shannon, and Sayid.

"Ok, what's the name of the apartments again?" Ana Lucia asked Claire.

"Just say Las callas, hopefully the driver will know." She said with a nervous laugh. Every previous time she had come to Lanzarote she had been with her parents who had spent loads of time out there, so they knew it like a second home. She on the other hand had left it up to them every time.

They managed to arrive at the apartments ten minutes later, avoiding getting lost, checked in then headed off to find where they would be staying for the next week. Sawyer was still reading, while still managing to pull along his luggage, and wasn't really paying much attention to where he was going.

"Wow…the pool is huuuuge!" Charlie said excitedly.

"There's another two, on other parts of the complex." Claire replied, and saw the rest of the groups faces light up.

Ana Lucia had been keeping quiet for a while, mostly she was trying to refrain from harming Sawyer in any way for continuously reading his book, and the fact that he was still doing it, after she had tried to persuade him to put it down in the taxi, ticked her off. She extended her arm, sharply, sideways, into him, sending him off balance, tripping on the edge of the pool and falling right in.

He resurfaced, wet…very wet.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, you just ruined my damn book!" He yelled swimming over to the side, sodden book still in hand.

"Oh…what a shame…" She rolled her eyes at him then carried on walking with the others who were now laughing at his expense.

They walked up a small path to a patio and stopped in front of a door.

"108. We're here." Claire said putting the key card in the door, hearing the little beep and opening it. They walked inside, straight into a kitchen dining room/ living room, with a TV and couch. Through the back there were two bedrooms with three beds in each, and a large bathroom. "The settee pulls out into a bed too." She said after she noticed the looks she was getting from everyone when they had counted the beds and compared it to how many of them there was.

** Sigh Boy that was a struggle…I'm not too sure why either…oh well...I've had a change of plan with this and it's buggered up the rest planned out already but I'll sort it. Lol**

**Right, so for the next chapter I want votes for who will get the settee together.**

**Thanks for the reviews last time, please keep them up. Thankees!**


	13. And Back Again

**Hello once again readers! I'm sure by now you are bored of the long waits, believe me I am, and once again I will blame homework…I hate it and it should die. Are teachers that inhuman these days? Throws very heavy text book at teachers**

"Ok, we need some straws." Jack said looking around.

"Straws? Are we having drinks or something?" Charlie said completely oblivious to what Jack was on to.

"No we're not having drinks…we need to draw straws to see who gets the settee."

"Ahhh…I see. That's more logical…" The others were laughing slightly at him and Shannon patted him on the head.

Claire went back into kitchen and was followed by the rest, as she searched through the drawers and cupboards for straws.

Sayid went on a hunt for some scissors while she did this, then waited with the rest.

"Oooh, got some!" she turned back round to face the group with a whole wad of straws, and began to take eight out, handing them to Sayid, who cut two short and tried to jumble them in his hand a bit to shuffle them up.

Sawyer, who was wet and now very grumpy, pushed in first, and grabbed a straw just after Sayid had finished the shuffle.

"Hell yeah! I deserve it too after that." He turned and glared at Ana Lucia and held the straw up in front of her face, who just smiled, satisfied, back at the gesture. With that she stepped forward and took one. Long. She had a bed too.

"Kate." Sayid turned to Kate offering her the bundle. She pulled slowly, and sighed nonchalantly. She would have been more bothered about it if Sawyer hadn't picked his yet, because that would have meant there was a possibility she could have got stuck with him. But with that out of the way, she didn't mind who, out of the rest, would be joining her.

"That's fine." She merely said.

"Ok, next." Sayid announced to the remaining four.

Shannon grasped one and slid it out, and squealed with joy, having got a long one.

"Oh thanks for that…I love you too!" Kate said laughing at her reaction.

Claire went next, and breathed a sigh of relief when she got a long straw. She had more reason than anyone to want a bed saying as it was her apartment. But she had been fair about it anyways.

This left the three guys, Sayid, still holding the straws, Jack, holding his breath, and Charlie who hadn't seemed to have realised that it was just them three left.

Jack reached forward taking hold of one, hesitating for a second, and then pulled.

"Haha, not so bothered now are you, Freckles!" Sawyer laughed at her, pushing the topic a bit for a reaction.

"Shut up Sawyer!" And with that she shoved him backwards, nearly tripping over his bag behind him.

Claire and Shannon were giggling evilly as they headed into the bedrooms to put their luggage down, while Sayid just shrugged to Jack and did the same as the girls.

"Oh well…at least its not sawyer." Jack said with a grin, which was reciprocated. They were quite comfortable with this arrangement, as many times over the years they had already shared a bed when staying over at each others houses, being so close, but this time, and the both knew it, even if they didn't voice it, it was different. There were feelings involved.

The group unpacked a little, removing clothes that they would be wearing that night and getting ready to go out for the night. They went straight out once ready, which they had managed unusually quick with Shannon making only a minimal fuss on what to wear, and headed down to the front street along the waterfront to get something to eat and chill out in the cool early evening. The sun was low in the sky, just on the horizon, as they group of teens found a restaurant that they liked the look of and sat nearest to the street, so they could look out into the ocean and along the street, able watch the bustling of locals and tourists alike. Over food, conversation picked up again after what seemed like an eternity of thoughtful reflection on where they were.

Claire, Kate, Shannon and Ana Lucia were engrossed in a conversation about the next day.

"Right, so we have lots of suntan lotion, that's good. No burning." Shannon started a list.

"Well that's all that's really needed…of course, other than bikini's and towels and stuff." Claire replied to her.

"Ooooh I can't wait to go swimming! And sunbathing!" Kate nearly squealed over the top.

"Oh yeah! I love a good tan." Ana had lightened up considerably.

"But you're already tanned." Claire laughed at her words.

"Sooooooo, I can get a better one cant I?" Joining in the laughing with her.

The guys were having their own conversation too, and seemed to be also looking forward to the next day.

"I'm just going to get straight up in the morning, early, get ready and get out in the sun as early as possible, do some swimming." Jack was looking out at the water while saying this.

"Pfft…yeah right! I just want to get out there and see some girls in bikini's." Sawyer blurted out louder than he expected.

"We can hear you, you perv!" Shannon shouted across the table to him, making everyone laugh.

After the meal, they wandered off down onto the beach for a stroll and stayed for a while sitting on some beds just taking in the beauty of the whole thing, and listening to the sounds that were coming from above, just about all of them wishing living there would be a permanent fixture. They stayed around the beach till about half ten before deciding on an early night, after all they had been on a long flight and it was their first night.

Back at the apartment the girls quickly grabbed their stuff and ran into the bathroom, swiftly locking the door, which was soon met by four sets of hands banging loudly and complaining.

"Hey! Hey!" They banged. "How come you guys get the bathroom first? Not fair!" Sayid shouted then Charlie.

"Cause we're special, now shut up and wait, where getting changed." Shannon shouted back through the door.

"Oooooh!" Sawyer shouted through, big grin on his face.

A bang was heard, and the door shook.

"Will someone remove the southern pervert from the door?" Kate shouted after Claire had thumped the wood.

Sayid and Jack took Sawyer by his arms and led him away from the door, then went and got changed themselves, and waited for the reappearance of the girls. Another five minutes later they strolled out, in pjs, an arrangement of shorts and t-shirts, looking immaculate for just going to bed.

Shannon walked into the room to see Sawyer sitting up against the headboard of his bed reading a different book, while the other one was on the windowsill drying, and Sayid lying on his bed. He had dragged Shannon's bed across to his so it made a very small double. She walked over climbed in and shuffled over to him wrapping her arms around him.

"Mind, no funny business." Sawyer looked up from his book. "I want to sleep this holiday."

In the other room, Charlie, Claire and Ana Lucia had settled down pretty quickly, Claire taking the bed nearest the door, then Charlie and Ana Lucia nearest the window. Claire had already fallen asleep and was snoring lightly, Charlie was finding it cute and was watching sitting on the edge of his bed, while Ana Lucia looked on and frowned wondering how long it would last, and turned over and tried to go to sleep herself.

Charlie got up, pulled the sheet up over Claire a bit, to keep her warm during the cool night temperatures, then leaned down and left a kiss on her forehead, before getting in his own bed and switching off the remaining light.

Kate walked out to the main room, and found Jack lying on his back looking up at the ceiling arms spread out across the whole bed. He heard her footsteps and looked across sitting up, he could also hear what sounded like Sawyer already complaining about the couple in their room.

"Hey." He said simply.

"Hey. You better not be planning on sprawling out like that all night." She said with a warm smile.

He moved across to give her room as she sat on the edge and swung her legs on top, pulling the sheet over slightly and throwing her head back on to her pillow. Jack did the same, just lying there staring at the ceiling. The silence, well apart from the row going on in the next room, was uncomfortable for the first time in their lives, and they were finding it unbearable.

He looked across. "Kate?"

"Yeah." She turned to look at him and saw he was feeling the same about the weird new awkwardness.

He was silent for a second, just watching her. "…Goodnight…"

Next morning had been eventful. Shannon and Sayid had been unable to control themselves and had started getting up to some antics during the night, trying to be as quiet as possible but failing and waking Sawyer who then shouted at them and stormed out.

Luckily for him Charlie had squished his way in with Claire and the pair were snuggled up tightly together, leaving a free bed which he kindly took with no hesitation.

Ana Lucia had also awoken during the period of shouting and had seen Sawyer take up the empty bed beside her and groaned.

Sawyers reply to this was a wink and a "hey there chica."

It was to no surprise to anybody that Sawyer was first up, just to simply get out of the way, and went up to the pool bar for an early morning drink. Everyone else had risen not long after, getting ready silently and creeping past a still sleeping Jack and Kate, who were also cuddled up together, and probably without knowing so. They took their towels and items that they would need for the day, and headed out to the pool to get some sun beds before they were taken by others.

Jack awoke, hearing splashes outside from the pool, he took a second to adjust in his mind, to where he was, keeping his eyes closed then opened them and realised he had his arm was draped across Kate who was lying on her side in front of him, facing away. He tugged his arm lightly to bring it free and found that he couldn't. He leaned across to see what was obstructing him, and found that Kate had attached herself to it, and was holding on tightly. He gave up and dozed off again, having not realised he was still tired.

Kate woke up, feeling very comfortable and refreshed, the feeling of knowing she was on holiday for the next six days bringing a smile to her lips, and just then noticing an arm that was holding onto her. She turned slightly and saw a sound asleep Jack, his eyes fluttering every so often. She had to stifle and laugh at this and slowly and carefully removed herself from his grip and headed to the bathroom with her stuff. She came out ten minutes later ready to join the rest outside, from what she had gathered from the empty apartment and the noise outside, and looked to see that Jack was still sleeping. _Lazy. _She mumbled to herself.

Right then he began to mumble and wake, opening his eyes very slightly to see a figure standing watching him. "You're watching me." He stated.

"Yes now get up lazy bones, we're going to the pool….Race ya there" She said grabbing her towel.

"Hey that's not fair!" he shouted back, ripping himself from the sheet and running to get his shorts on. (A/N yes that's swimming shorts not just clothing in general, he has clothes on…sadly :P)

Soon after the others had got settled at their beds, the guys went in the pool, trying to coax the girls in too, but they weren't having it. They knew that as soon as they got in there, mayhem would ensue. Not long after that the guys came back out the pool and dried off for a bit, lying in the sun as if they were innocent. Ha innocent! As far from, while in the pool, they had been formulating a plan on how to get the girls in without them even knowing what hit them. They had this sorted, and were just waiting for the right time to pull it off and it seemed that their opportunity would be soon.

"Right we're off to get an ice cream. You guys want anything?"

"Erm, we might come…" Charlie stumbling slightly on his words, looking to the other two, who nodded in reply.

The girls began walking, while the guys caught up and walked along side so that the girls were in between them and the pool. With one last nod, they crashed sideways, grabbing anyone and anything and pushing them into the pool with an almighty splash, sending water everywhere and onto other sunbathers, who began moaning and complaining loudly. When everyone had resurfaced, Sawyer was half drowning with laughter, Sayid was laughing at the look of Shannon, who had hair everywhere and was slowly getting redder with anger, and Charlie was asking if Claire was all right. A Lifeguard came over and started talking to them in Spanish.

"What we can't understand you. Sorry." Sayid said to the girl, who was now pointing to a no diving sign.

"Soy arrepentido." Ana Lucia apologized.

The lifeguard walked off again, leaving the teens treading water while being thrown lots of nasty looks.

Kate came flying into the pool area from their apartment and stopped dead when she saw the lifeguard walking away from her friends and the angry murmuring of the other guests. Shortly after, Jack came running up behind and had to stop sharply before hitting a stationary Kate.

"What did you guys do?" Kate said to the drenched group, walking towards them.

"YOU!" Shannon stepped threateningly towards Sawyer and shoved a finger into his chest. "This is your fault!"

Sawyer actually started to look scared and backed off.

Sayid came round beside her put an arm around her and lead her to the bed where her towel was.

"Whoah, you're in somebody's bad books." Kate said to Sawyer raising her eyebrows and walking over the free bed beside them.

Sawyer turned to Jack, he didn't quite know for what exact reason, and found no answers from him either. Jack just shrugged and headed off for to stick his towel on a bed.

The rest of the week pretty much followed the same pattern, but with maybe fewer disturbances. They went out at the nights for a meal then went off to a bar or two dancing, and just generally enjoying their time there. Sawyer had permanently deserted his room, one because he was scared of Shannon castrating him as she had threatened, when he went to get his stuff, and two because he didn't fancy sticking around like a gooseberry to the couples night time antics.

Jack and Kate, who had just settled down one night, were rudely brought out of their peaceful states of consciousness, to the sounds of moans coming from the room. They had then abandoned their bed and spent a few hours sitting outside on the porch before going back.

Charlie was permanently attached to Claire, which left the room for Sawyer; luckily for him they actually went to sleep at night.

Ana Lucia mostly stayed away from the arguments and surprisingly never had much trouble with Sawyer at night. The only time she got involved in anything of a threatening sort was with him, because that seemed to entertain her if she was bored.

Before they knew it, it was packing up time again, back home. But they were going back, happy for the escape, and nicely tanned in their opinions. Their flight wasn't until the afternoon so they packed in the morning then sat around in the sun before heading off to the airport, which was more packed then when they came out. Amazingly checking in was quicker than expected and soon they up in the air once again.

Once they were back, their families greeted them, and they said their goodbyes to each other till Monday, most likely, when they were back at college.

**God knows if the Spanish is right… I only took it for five years…managed to get a B too…still eludes me how. lol**

**Next time there will be a nice lot of Jateness:D:D And back to college.**


	14. Choice? No Need

**Mighty Jateness this chapter.**

It was Sunday Kate had nothing to do as most of the group had a whole load of homework piled on them, which would have been done, like her, if they hadn't have left it to the last minute. She threw on a pair of cropped jeans and a top and wandered out back and through the adjoining gate they shared with the Shephard's in the fence, heading up to their back door and walking in. Kate continued in to the kitchen after hearing the sounds of dishes being washed and water running.

"Hello Kate." Jacks mom greeted her.

"Hi, Mrs Shephard." She replied cheerily.

"How long have we known each other now…" She put her finger to her lips pretending to think, "I was there the day you were born." Taking her finger away from her mouth and pointing it at Kate. "Its Margo."

Kate laughed, "Old habits." She took a seat at the table.

"Did you have fun on holiday?" She asked Kate.

"Yeah it was great! I loved it." Kate answered back enthusiastically.

There was silence for a minute or two while Margo continued washing, and Kate checked out the paper on the table in front of her.

"So how was the party dear?" Margo asked her. This was the first time Kate had seen her, or had a full conversation with, since before the party that Jack had, at first unwillingly, thrown.

"Party?" Kate panicked a little, her throat going dry.

"The party that Jack threw while we were away for the week." She went back to washing plates.

Kate didn't know if Jack had told her or not so carried on playing dumb. "Er...Party? Erm…what party?" hardly the most convincing words, trying to clear her throat.

"Jack was never very good at cleaning up to an extent where its believable, plus I came back to a few girly touches that weren't there before." She smiled at Kate who was nervously smiling at a loss. "Also…" She pointed to the cupboard where all the drinks were stored when not in the fridge. "…There was a lot of extra space in there too." She was finding Kate's expressions very amusing.

"Does Jack know you know yet?" Kate asked giving up the charade.

"Not yet…but he will soon." Giving Kate wink. "I kept it to myself for a long time, but I was just curious whether you would admit to it, but no, you've always got Jack's back. I know that." She gave Kate a very warm smile; she was always fond of her.

Jack came down the stairs, yawning and rubbing his eyes; still just in the shorts he wore for bed, and headed off in to the kitchen for breakfast.

"Morning mom, we got any eggs?" He finished off with a yawn and leaning against the wall; having not yet noticed Kate sitting at the table.

"Yes there's some in the fridge I think, do you want me to make you something?" She replied back to him, also aware that he hadn't noticed Kate sitting there, giving him a smile. _Boys._

"Yeah that would be nice, thanks." Jack smiled at his mom, wondering why she had a small smile plastered across her face also. He turned round to go sit down at the table and saw Kate staring.

"Kate." Jack said, stopping all movement.

"I was wondering how long it would take you…" Margo turned to her son, and then headed to the fridge. "Would you like anything as well Kate?"

Kate snapped from her thoughts. "Ur…No thanks, I'm fine." Up until then her mind was having a battle as she fought to keep her eyes placed on his and nowhere else. Having spent a week away together, they had all gotten used to seeing each other in barely anything at all, (although for some this wasn't new) but back home was different. _Why is it always different back home!_

Jack was watching this, trying hard not to laugh, and then failed, he could see she was trying to come to terms with her thoughts.

"What you laughing at?" Kate asked a grin creeping up on her face.

"Nothing…nothing at all." He sat down feeling quite proud, his ego having a good boost to it. "Hmmm, I wonder when we should get that wall knocked in between the houses, at least then you wont have to walk as far to come harass me in the morning." He teased her, laughing.

"Oh great you walking round like that all the time, it would put me off my food." She teased back, pretending to retch.

"That's not what you were thinking before." He began grinning stupidly. She raised her eyebrows at him.

"How do you know what I was thinking, eh, Jack Shephard?" Kate stuck her tongue out at him.

This behaviour continued on for the next ten minutes of waiting for Jack's breakfast.

"Okay, enough with the flirting over breakfast kids." Margo said making them blush, and came across with Jack's breakfast. "Feel free to steal anything off his plate if you want it." She headed out of the kitchen leaving the teens.

"Sho wacht yous gotch panned flor today?" Jack asked with his mouth full.

"Yeah cause I know what that means…" Kate laughed at him struggling to swallow the big lump he was trying to force down his throat. "Maybe I should help you eat that, saying as your incapable." She reached forward grabbed a sausage and some bacon.

"Hey!"

"Your mothers orders." She replied shrugging.

"Anyways…I said what you got planned for today?" Jack asked this time, with words.

"Ah I don't know. I was hoping you might have some ideas." She leaned forward and rested her chin in her hands. "You gonna eat that?" She asked just to tease him, even though she was serious on wanting to eat it.

"Yes!" He shifted his plate away from her, trying to wrap his arm around it. "Hmm, I don't know either…ok hang on, I'll go get ready." Jack scooted off his chair, pushing his plate towards Kate, whose eyes widened then she licked her lips.

"Mmmmm" She jumped straight into the food.

Jack laughed at her animalistic side to eating and headed off upstairs to shower and get dressed.

Once Kate had finished eating the remains of Jack's breakfast she went over to the sink and placed the plate in the basin. Looking at the emptiness she realised that Margo had previously just finished washing up, so Kate took the liberty to wash up. Once she had done this, not taking very long, she sat back down. The house was silent except for the small hiss of the shower that could be heard from upstairs. With nothing left to do, she stepped back outside into the garden and sat down on the chair swing looking out onto the lawn and the big tree at the back, thinking back to the day she got out the album for the rest of the group and also to when they were little and played there. She smiled to herself, reminiscing over the good times, even wondering if Jack and Sawyer could yet climb the tree.

She was snapped back from her thoughts, by the sound of a door clicking shut, peering sideways to see Jack, now clothed walking towards her.

"Hey." He said sitting down next to her.

"Hey." She replied then went back to looking at the tree.

Silence ensued for a few minutes more, Jack was slowly trying to gather his thoughts, thinking maybe it was time that he and Kate had that chat that he had originally planned on doing nearly seven months ago! _Why had he put it off so long? _Or was that an omen not to say anything? But then again, a lot of things had changed between them since then, even if they were still trying to pretend it didn't.

"Kate…" Jack started.

"Yeah." She said almost too quickly, putting Jack off track slightly.

"Erm, I think we need to talk…you know." He was trying to think as fast as possible to string sentences together that made sense and stayed on topic without blurting things out too fast.

"Ok, what about?" She knew where this was going, she could read Jack like an open book and right now everything he was going to say was spilling out of his eyes before it even reached his mouth.

"About…us. What's going on with that? Where's this going? What's going to happen…" Kate suddenly cut off Jack. She had leaned over and lightly pressed her lips against his, in a lingering kiss. Ok maybe it wasn't the best plan, on how to sort things out but it stopped him from babbling and told him what she thought of 'us'.

They parted and Jack looked at her. She looked back at him wondering what he was going to think of it now.

"Ok." That's all he said and this time he made the move first, this time with more passion, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her in, to which she respond and moved her hands to his face feeling the warmth of his skin.

Monday came again, and the group were back at college, homework begrudgingly in tow, having spent hours being poured over the previous day.

Claire was lazily resting against a locker while Shannon stood rifling through hers; trying to find something she had left a few weeks before. Claire stared around, tired and bored, her eyelids drooping slightly, and yawning. Her eyes shot open, had she just seen that right? It certainly looked like it, but there were people in the way. A gap came free in the crowd and she saw again.

"Shannon…Shannon…" She started to bang slightly on the metal of the locker to her right where Shannon was.

"What? I'm trying to find something…will you stop banging!" She responded lifting her head out of her very full locker, with her hands clasped across her ears. "Oh." She followed Claire's gaze down the corridor.

"Hey…maybe you should clean that out Shannon." Kate said to Shannon who had her mouth slightly open, but was staring back and forth between Jack and Kate, who had just walked up and stopped in front of them. Claire was less controlled about her staring and was just plainly gawping at their hands, which was intertwined together.

"Er Claire are you ok." A smile was now forming on Jack's face, he knew exactly what was up with the other two, but he stayed quiet like nothing was out of the ordinary.

Claire looked up at Kate now, looking at her she saw she was smiling and looked really happy. "Yeah. Everything's perfect." She stopped staring now, jabbing Shannon slightly and smiled at them both, who returned the gesture.

The guys turned up five minutes later, and took it better than the girls, but that was because they had talked about it when they were on holiday, one of the only serious moments they ever had.

After that Jack, Kate, Sayid and Sawyer went to maths; about half way through the lesson Kate felt her phone vibrate and checked it under the table. She smiled when she looked to see that Claire and Shannon had sent a message from their lesson, which was filled, every line, with _Details, details, details _and then finally at the end _later._ She laughed at this then covered it with a cough as she got a funny look from the teacher. She was going to be interrogated later on. But right now they had another 45 minutes of the teacher blabbing on about some numbers that were present throughout nature and in everyday life…weird.

Sawyer was lying on the desk, he couldn't be bothered with it, and he wasn't interested in the slightest. He looked along the table to see that even goody-two-shoes-with-teachers, Kate wasn't even paying attention, and hell must have frozen over because neither was Jack, he was sitting doodling on his book. "Strange…" he muttered.

"Is that something you would like to share with the rest of us James?" The teacher stopped and asked sawyer.

"No I'm good…" He glared back. "…Son of a bitch…" even quieter than before.

"Wow maths really has got to him then." Kate laughed quietly.

On the other side of the campus, Claire, Shannon, Ana Lucia and Charlie were also sitting bored, having just text Kate they had nothing more to do, so they started to scribble notes back and forth to each other.

"_So how we going to get her to talk…get her drunk?" _Shannon wrote, passing the note along.

"_Or talk to her." _Claire replied giving her a look.

"_Drugs?" _Shannon wrote laughing to herself

"_Noooooooo!" _Claire nudged her sideways

"_Tie her to a chair?" _Shannon was getting carried away with the ideas.

"_OR we could just TALK to her!" _Claire now joined in the laughing along with Ana Lucia who caught up reading, the three girls had shoved Charlie out of earshot and sight of the paper and he was now in the middle of complaint…mainly to himself.

"_Maybe we should tie Jack to a chair_._"_ Shannon wrote barely able to control herself now.

Claire burst out into giggles, trying her hardest not to do it loudly, nearly over balancing and falling off her chair.

The teacher announce the end, and the three girls raced outside, hardly making it out the door before collapsing into laughter, quite a few people surrounding, staying a way out of fear.

"What is up with you?" Charlie asked intrigued.

"Nothing…its good…it's all good…" Shannon answered in a gap in the giggles for oxygen.

Lunch came and they crowded into the cafeteria, searching of a spot to sit down and eat. Lunch was like a daily work out, not only did you have to find a table but also you had to get there, and that was a struggle, its not like people carried around a portable bulldozer to get people out of the way. Although the group had a nice little technique to theirs, which included pushing sawyer up front and following behind, no one wanted to get in the way of sawyer, if they did, they didn't do it again.

Before they got through the doors in to the cafeteria, Kate was grabbed from behind and dragged into the nearest girls' toilets. Once inside she turned around and found Claire, Shannon and Ana Lucia rubbing their hands together waiting for her to say something.

"We just couldn't have waited till later could we?" Shannon said to Claire who was too eager to care.

"What?" Kate looked at them confused.

"Come on, spill the details." Claire demanded.

Kate just continued to stare at them.

"You and Jack just walk right up to us holding hands…why didn't you tell us…how long...when…how…where…why…wait, not why, we already know why." She finished in one breath…gulping in air afterwards to compensate.

"We just…sorted things out. And it was only yesterday, you would have known earlier if you hadn't been madly rushing to do your homework." Kate laughed at them, then nearly fell over as a pair of arms wrapped around her, Claire clinging on as it her life depended on it.

"YES!" She shouted.

"Ok you can let go now…need to breath." Kate was finding Claire actions completely mad.

"Yeah, come on, lets go back to lunch." Shannon announced trying to pry Claire away from Kate.

The rest of the week was pretty uneventful, but they were once again warned that work would be piling up again for exams in June before breaking up for summer. Exams equalled to everybody groaning, but the idea of summer afterwards was a good thing to look forward to.

**Reviews please:D **

**Next chapter… exams..blurgh, and the summer hols, any suggestions for what you want them to do, need lots of activities.**


	15. Losing Control

**Thaaaank you sooo much for reviews! I appreciate them so much! I've decided to split up the hol a little because I ended up writing some last day of term action sort of thing. Well I'm not going to spoil it so read on…**

The last week of the term, went fast, and was mad, as students slowly ground to a halt in studies, losing more and more concentration, as minds drifted off into the summer.

The corridors were filled with unintentional violence as the group walked through, squeezing their way through the bodies. Somebody threw a football to Jack, which narrowly missed Claire's head, before he caught it.

"Hey watch it!" Jack shouted down the hall to him, before throwing back, and watching as it hit the dude square in the face knocking him to the floor.

"Do that more in practise. They might stop being idiots." Sawyer commented to him slapping him on the shoulder, and laughing, as were the rest of the group. "Actually speaking of football there's a game on Saturday for the end of the year."

"Nice! That should be good then." Sayid replied.

"Will you all attend to support the best guys you know?" Sawyer grinned and winked at the girls.

"Ha! Jack throw the ball at _his_ head next time…it might deflate it a little." Shannon laughed back at him.

"Oh my god! Not…enough...room to…breathe…for sawyers…head!" Kate gasped, clutching her throat, which Claire and Ana joined in doing and sunk to the floor rolling around with their feet in the air. The grin faded from Sawyers face, as he began to mutter to himself, and wandered off further down the corridor, while Sayid, Jack, Shannon, and Charlie laughed at the sight of legs flailing around in front of them from the now giggling girls.

Once in control again, and feet firmly planted on the ground, they said their goodbyes to Jack, Sawyer and Sayid who went off to check about training and the game, while the rest went off to sit outside in the hot July sun.

Shannon promptly lay down and began basking in the sun, all in aid for a tan. Beside her sat Kate who was really bothered but instead just enjoyed the sun, Claire who had stuck a sun hat on straight away, and Ana Lucia who was lying on her front facing them.

"What? I don't want to burn. I haven't got sunscreen with me." Claire shrugged off the looks she was getting from the other three who found the hat very amusing.

"This college needs livening up." Kate said plainly, saying as the only remotely interesting spectacle was currently on Claire's head.

"Who cares…we're off for the next two months doing whatever we want, screw the college." Shannon laughed.

"Hmmm, yeah. Two loooong months…what are we going to do?" She asked back, still thoughtfully staring at the grass beneath them, listening to complete silence.

"Hey Claire, where'd Charlie go?" Ana Lucia looked up at Claire.

"Actually, I don…" That's as far as she got, before she stopped after hearing a snippet of conversation from behind them.

"…The way I see it, Jack, that _perv_, and Sayid wont be spending much longer here…" The four girls turned around to find the source of the voice. It was Sarah.

She looked across to them sitting on the grass and sneered evilly at them realising she had done the job and they had heard her well enough. She turned back to her friends laughing, not hearing or noticing the approach of the four.

Kate, Claire, Shannon and Ana Lucia, nearly ran at her, after hearing that, but Kate got there first tapping her quickly on the shoulder to get her attention, and as she turned sinking her fist straight into her face knocking her back into her friends and to the floor unconscious.

"Bitch!" She shouted at the lump on the floor, and then looked to the rest who were surrounding Sarah, who made no response to retaliate.

"HEY! HEEY!" Charlie came running out the doors and round to them, and stopped when he saw four very angry girls standing in front of an, out of it Sarah, and her wary pals. "Whoah! Remind me to never get on the wrong side of you."

"What's up Charlie?" Claire asked, knowing that somehow what they had just heard was going to be connected.

"Oh yeah, you guys better come see this." He answered quickly.

_Oh god_. _Could this be what she had been gloating about?_ They certainly hoped not because that would be a bad scenario. They all went running off again, Charlie leading the way, and found themselves at the boys changing room doors, not hesitating to enter when Charlie flung the door open.

They were shocked when they entered. They found Jack standing over, the body of old friend turned enemy Mark, who had a bloody nose, and Sawyer holding up one of his goons against the locker. One of the onlookers turned to see the girls.

"Hey! What do you think your doing? This is a guys changing rooms!"

"Shut up!" Ana Lucia shouted at him, and he did just that, backing away from her slightly.

"What's going on in here?" Shannon asked making her way to Sayid.

"You fancy telling them? EH MARK!" Jack shouted at Mark, really pissed off to the point where he was going red. "STILL DOING EVERYTHING THAT BITCH TELLS YOU!"

Claire had been searching with her eyes to find out what had happened and gasped when she saw, a gun, whether it was real or not she could not tell, a knife and Jack holding a packet of some sort.

"What is going on in here?" The coach walked in, took in the sight of the girls first, then to remnants of the tussle. "Mr Ford please put him down." He said. He was too used to telling Sawyer to stop beating up people in practise to be really bothered anymore.

Sawyer gave the guy one last shove against the locker and headed for the door.

Jack shook his head and dropped the packet onto Mark's chest, before grabbing his bag also and following Sawyer out of the changing rooms making a small apology to the coach for the mess on the way, and was closely followed by Kate, Claire, Charlie, Ana Lucia, and Shannon and Sayid, who was being pawed at.

They followed the very fast paced striding of Jack and Sawyer outside to where they had been earlier, to where there was a bench.

"Jack, what's going on?" Claire asked, leaving space between herself and him, as was Kate who had never seen him like that before.

Jack looked up and saw a group gathered further along the way, and saw to his pleasure that Sarah looked very dazed and had the startings of a black eye. "Who did that?" Taking his eyes away and looking at the girls in front of him, that for the first time in his life looked scared of him.

"Me." Kate said looking him directly in the eyes. "Jack what happened?" She looked then to Sawyer, who was moping a bleeding lip with the sleeve of his shirt and to Sayid who was also looking at Jack.

Sayid then took over the recount, as Jack dabbed at his own sore just above his brow.

"After we left you we went to find the coach, so we headed to the changing rooms. We found Mark in Jack's locker and a few of his friends in ours too." He said pointing to himself and Sawyer. "We grabbed them and found that they were planting weapons and drugs in our lockers, and as you can see things got a bit heavy handed after that."

After about five minutes or so police cars turned up and officers headed inside and a few minutes later returned with Mark and three others, cuffed. The coach followed out with the head of the college, and told Jack, Sawyer and Sayid that they too would have to go in for questioning to sort out what happened, and so they left also.

For the next two hours of lessons, the girls managed to get themselves removed from the lessons after a brawl broke out again, and then Charlie joined them after stepping in when someone threatened Claire. All in all, it wasn't a good ending to the term.

"Come on lets just go before I murder someone." Kate said, utterly deflated.

"Yeah, I'll second that." Ana Lucia added.

* * *

Afterwards everyone had gone straight home, deciding to give some space and calm down.

Kate popped round to the Shephard's first before going home, to tell them that Jack would not be home soon, and giving the reasons why, assuring them that he had nothing to do with it, then went next door to her own house. She didn't spend very long inside before heading back out front and sat on the step watching as the day slowly dwindled away into night.

Around eight a car turned up and Jack stepped out. She looked up from the floor and stared at him as he was doing to her.

He felt wrecked. The day had been a disaster, not only being in a fight but he had then been to the station being questioned about it, luckily Sawyer, Sayid and him had gotten off fine, and Mark was in trouble to an extent that they didn't quite know, but that wasn't there problem anymore.

He walked up to her and sat down on the step beside her.

"Hey." He said kind of weakly.

"Hey. You ok?" She asked looking at him.

"Yeah, I suppose…listen I'm sorry…" He started.

"What for? Its not your fault." She jumped in; she wasn't going to let him blame himself for this.

"I saw the way that you looked at me…you were scared of me…I was scared of me. I've never blown up that much before." He looked down, he really felt ashamed of his outburst, not because he had beaten someone, because he didn't regret a second of that, but because he had let himself go _too _much. Had lost control.

"Its ok Jack, it happens to the best of us at times." She said taking his hand in hers.

He turned and smiled her a thanks, squeezing her hand slightly. "Well I'm going to go in now, face the parents." He laughed. "And then I'm going to collapse…urgh game tomorrow." He stood up, pulling her up with him, and hugged her close and tightly, before softly kissing her once before saying goodbye.

**ANGRY JACK! I LOVE angry Jack!**

**Ok so next time will be… the hols… possibly the beginning or maybe just the whole thing. Depending on how much I write I may split them up.**

**And once again, anything you want them to do, write it in your review, so please review :P cause I looooove them.**


	16. Summer Back On Track

**Righty oh! First off, thank you everyone for your reviews, means a lot to me. Secondly, I figured I'm gonna split it after all. Enjoy :D**

The previous days events weren't going to dampen their spirits, after all they still had a game to play, and hopefully win, and were going to use the day to get back up to their usual, mad selves.

They all met up and made there way to the college for, hopefully, the last time till they would have to go back at the end of summer, which was something they were trying to deny. Everyone noticed a calmer Jack, and even Sawyer was pleasantly cheerful, but they had a sneaking suspicion that was because he was going to play rough and trying to paralyse as many people as possible in the process if they got in his way.

The girls and Charlie headed up into the stands, where only a few people were present at the time, and found seats.

"So what are your bets that Sawyer will eventually kill somebody in a game?" Charlie asked the others.

"Charlie!" Claire hit him lightly.

"He has a point…after yesterday, there's more possibility than ever." Ana Lucia said to them, looking along the stands.

"Fine. What about Jack?" Charlie continued, seemingly ignoring the protests from Claire who was tugging on him.

"What about Jack?" Kate turned slowly to him giving him a look of indifference.

"Come on! After yesterday, he would rip someone's head off. Me Jack. Me strong. Me bash your head off a locker." He started acting like a caveman, making a funny face, which made them all laugh.

"If you don't shush I'll set the caveman after you." Kate said and laughed when Charlie flinched slightly.

Soon after that more people appeared and took seats in the stands for the game that would start soon, noticing some that were not from their college.

Five minutes, or so later the two teams walked out, starting to warm up, and already it was evident that there was animosity in the team. Those who were friends with Mark, were constantly on the offensive to Jack, Sawyer and Sayid, even during the warm up one took a shot at Jack, which he just dodged, but Sawyer made up for it getting him back on the way past, when he wasn't paying full attention. It didn't take long for the coach to notice, before he gathered the team up and gave them warnings.

"Yep. Somebody is going to die." Claire said, to the disbelief of Charlie.

"But you…before…when I said…" Charlie stammered, much to the amusement of Kate and Ana.

The game was soon underway, which amazingly was being won, not by much mind, by their team.

"Ooof!" Ana gasped, while Kate and Claire grabbed each other. "That had to hurt." Sawyer had knocked someone out with his arm, deliberately, and had soon paid for it when one of the opposition, got him back tackling him so hard that when they landed they left a trail in the soil.

The match pretty much followed the same pattern till the end, both coaches of each team couldn't believe how much hostility was happening on the pitch, and it wasn't just between the two teams, more than half of it was between just theirs, which most of the time was specifically targeted at either Jack, or Sawyer if they had the chance.

They came off the pitch, battered and bruised, and didn't even bother going to the changing rooms to change, instead just grabbing their bags meeting the rest and going.

"Come on we're going to mine." Jack stated to the rest who had no problems with it.

They arrived, quickly traipsed through the house, trying, mostly failing, to keep the mess to a minimum, and went out back. Jack, Sawyer and Sayid collapsed on the grass initially, breathing sighs of relief, while the rest sat around on the chairs, floor and grass.

"Everybody in one piece?" Shannon asked them.

"I damn hope so!" Sawyer growled sticking his hand down his pants.

"Sawyer!!" Claire shouted at him.

"What! I need to make sure _everything's_ there." He said, looking at her as if she had been talking crazy.

"Bar a few cuts and many bruises, I think were fine." Jack lifted his head up to say what he had to them, then let his head flop back down again in tiredness.

Shannon got bored with sitting alone, well without Sayid, and so got up and moved over to him, sitting down and leaning on him. He groaned in pain at this, which startled her for a second before he moved slightly so that his apparent bruised ribs wouldn't have pressure on them.

"I'm good, I'm good…I think…" He said to the rest who were concerned.

After a good five minutes of complaints, conversation began about the next two months of freedom.

"So much time." Claire said as if in a dream.

"Well not really, it's going to fly, then we'll be back again." Charlie said.

"Pessimist." She replied back, being shunted from her daze.

"Well, It also depends whether you've passed this years exams, otherwise your either not going back, or you're doing the year again." Jack was now sitting up, being able to actually manage it now.

"Oh yeah, I completely forgot abut that…haha Sawyer!" Ana turned to him and laughed in his face.

"Awww that's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me…sweet. Being nasty to someone is a way of hiding feelings, sweetheart." He raised his eyebrows at the last part and start puckering.

"You must harbour _some_ feelings for us then." She said and then laughed, but didn't deny anything.

"I could just lie in the bath right now…" Jack said, aching and sweating from sitting in the sun and ignoring the banter between the two.

"Oh! I just remembered…we have to go home…I completely forgot we had to do something…" Shannon suddenly burst out with it.

"Something…each other…"Sawyer muttered under his breath too quiet for them to hear.

"We do?" Sayid asked confused.

"Yeah." She replied to him with a wink that only he saw.

"Oh yes, how could I forget…" He said now pleasantly grinning to himself.

The rest rolled their eyes, and smiled at the failed attempt at lying.

"Nasty concussion you've got there, Sayid." Charlie smiled and winked at him.

* * *

Two weeks in, they were bored. They were at that awkward age where they were too old to play like they used to and too young to do the things they wanted…or at least do them legally.

With the weather being so good they had been to the beach quite a few times, which mostly included a lot of running around screaming, swimming and general sunbathing if anyone had the chance and weren't, at that point, being picked up by one of the guys and hurled unceremoniously into the water. It wasn't like they needed to sunbathe anyways; they were all still tanned from the holiday, but Shannon wasn't having it. It was certainly strange, to the girls, to see the boys that they had known so long, and even been witnesses to, dare they say it, them maturing, to see how quickly they changed from being respectful young men to crazy idiots intent on soaking someone as soon as they caught sight of the beach and ocean.

It was a Friday afternoon, and they were once again lying on the beach, with the soakings out of the way for the time being, the guys had taken time to go lie down too.

"We need something to do." Jack said, squinting against the sunlight.

"We should have another party!!" Charlie said excitedly.

"Hey!" Jack turned to Kate.

"What?" Kate was really confused by the sudden outburst at her.

"I heard you and my mom had a nice little chat about the, not so secret anymore, party." She was struggling to keep her face straight, she realised that she had never mentioned it to him, that him that his mom had gotten confirmation of her suspicions out of her.

"Well, she already knew about it. She actually asked me if I had a good time." She replied starting to laugh slightly. "You didn't get into trouble, did you?" She was a little concerned, but thought that if anything had happened she would have known about it by then.

"No. She just said next time I had to pre warn her so she could remove the valuables." He said with a laugh. "I still blame you though." He began tickling her for pay back.

"Right sorted then. We can have the party at your place again." Charlie stated.

Jack sighed and thought for a second. "Fine. I better warn my mom then." He laughed at the thought of how bare the rooms would probably become, when his parents would panic about all the furniture and ornaments in the room. "But you can bring your own drink…the cupboard was _too_ noticeably bare last time." He turned to Kate again and she nodded.

They stayed a little long before heading home, and Jack thinking of a tactful way to introduce the already organised party to his parents.

"Ooooh!! I've got it!" Kate suddenly shouted out of the blue when they were walking.

"What?" Jack asked wondering what the plan would be.

"My parents are going out for a few drinks to night, I'll get them to invite yours and then at least then they wont have to witness the madness." Kate offered up the plan.

"Good plan, so long as they don't mind of course." He said back.

"Yeah, it'll be fine. I think they were planning on telling them anyways, chances are they are already going." Kate had a feeling, that that was already true.

Arriving home Kate quickly popped into her house discussing at a very fast rate, what, they wanted to happen, to the point where she hadn't even realised her parents saying that they were already going with Margo and Christian, before running off next door to find that Jack had asked, well, warned his parents of the forth coming 'gathering'. With that sorted they got on the phone to the rest telling them to come round whenever.

It was to no surprise what so ever that Claire and Charlie came round immediately soon followed by Sawyer the Ana, and that Shannon and Sayid were going to be late.

The current six filed through to the kitchen placing drinks on the bench, which consisted mostly of different types of beers, and one bottle of vodka.

"Vodka. Seriously?" Kate asked sawyer who had just placed it down.

"Yeah." He nodded too.

"Straight?" Charlie asked wide-eyed.

"Yeah. Well I thought we could have a little fun with shots later." He said with a smirk on his face, which told everyone they might regret it in the morning.

Jack went in search of some food to put out on the table, just as Sayid and Shannon turned up with a bag of their own, emptying it out onto the bench.

"Jack we're off out now…" Margo passed by the door, looking only briefly at her son, but mostly her eyes resting on the alcohol, which had accumulated, bringing a small frown to her brow. "…Be careful." She said and received a nod from Jack.

"Nice hair Shan." Claire giggled, and Kate tried to stifle a grin.

Shannon reached up to her head and patted her hair, then ran out to the hall to look in the mirror, flattening out her ruffled up hair before returning.

The party got underway, with the addition of music, which Charlie supplied, they moved to the living room, opting for a more comfortable seat, but not before being warned by Jack to try and not destroy things too much.

Kate, Ana Lucia and Sayid were in deep conversation about guns and the armed forces, as Kate's father, Sam, served for his country many years ago, Sayid had a great interest in electronics and communications and Ana just generally like shooting things, having owned a BB gun since the age of four as she had told them.

Nearby Shannon and Claire were sat huddled together whispering intently to each other, letting out giggles every now and then.

Jack, Sawyer and Charlie who were having there own discussion, kept looking across to them every time an outburst was heard.

"Do you think she's talking about me?" Charlie asked, in reference to Claire, kind of worried as to what their topic was.

"Nah. You're fine, short stuff. I've got a feeling they're talking about why Shannon and Sayid were late." Sawyer grinned, raising his eyebrows, in an insinuating way.

"Oh ho ho ho!" Charlie then whistled. "Oh yeah, I love this song!" He started nodding to the beat of the drums, and playing air guitar in his seat.

It got to about ten o'clock, and everyone was starting to feel the effects of the alcohol, even Jack found himself grinning, and giggling like an idiot at times. But still with his sense of duty, he thought they had better move upstairs to his room, so that they would be out of the way for the return of his parents. They grabbed all the remaining drink, which there seemed to be quite a substantial amount left, Charlie stashed his hoodie full of food for them, and Sayid gathered the music together while the rest, slowly and definitely not steadily made their way upstairs.

Shannon and Claire, now linked together for stability, managed to wobble their way into Jack's parents room, before realising and hastily exiting, and then through to Jack's room where they slumped on his couch with a giggle.

"Whoops." Claire said grinning from ear to ear, with a beer in hand.

Once everyone was in, Jack locked his door, and once that was done, it seemed that that was the last rational thing he did.

Soon Sawyer had the group gathered around sitting in a circle on the floor, with the bottle of vodka in the middle and each person had a small glass in their hand, already pre filled for the impending game.

"Right, we're going to play a little game called, 'I Never'." Sawyer announced, pleasantly merry.

"I..." Claire hiccoughed. "...Never?" Claire gave a sceptical, drunk look.

"Uhuh. It's simple. You say, 'I never...' and then finish the sentence with something you've never done, then those who have done it take a drink, while those who haven't don't.

"Simple..." Charlie repeated swaying slightly to the side.

"Ok. I'll start then. I never...kissed a guy." He said, with a shrug. "Right now those of you who have, drink up." He finished with a smile.

Kate, Claire, Ana, and Shannon all took a swig out of their glasses, and much to everyone's surprise so did Charlie.

"What? I was very drunk, it was my brothers party and it was a dare." He answered to the strange, and amused looks he was getting from everyone.

"Whatever you say. You next." Sawyer said with a shiver.

"Ok. I've never...erm...been in a fight." Charlie said.

Everyone drank, and Sawyer found it amusing.

"I've never crashed a car." Jack said smirking.

"Jack!" Kate shouted at him, and then took a drink.

"Whose car did you crash? How come we didn't know about this?" Claire asked inquisitively.

"My moms. I was only backing it into the drive for her, except it went the wrong way and I mowed down the neighbours mail box and fence." Everyone found this hilarious and burst out laughing while Kate turned pink with embarrassment. "Ok, ok. I never..."

This game carried on, becoming increasingly rude, even for teenage standards, until the bottle was empty, and everyone was well and truly drunk, even to the point that even if they didn't like the taste of the vodka they still moaned when they realised it was gone.

Sawyer had then tried to start a game of spin the bottle, which started with Shannon spinning and luckily for her landing on Sayid, at this they began making out furiously, as if their life depended on it. Sawyer had then turned back to the rest to find, Claire and Charlie quietly kissing beside him and Kate and Jack had moved away to the couch and were now whispering to each other, with grins on their faces.

"Oh come on people! You've just spoiled a perfectly good game." Sawyer had then realised Ana Lucia still sitting next to him, and offered her a drink which she had kindly taken before grabbing him by the neck and pulling him in to her, his instincts kicking in, the next minute they were rolling around on the floor…not that it bothered anyone else at that moment.

With three couple in the group, and, well one that didn't seem to make any decision on what was between them, they were usually a bit more reserved and private about their relationships, choosing not to inflict them on to the rest, except for Sayid and Shannon, who everyone usually let them get on with it, as nothing could stop them.

It hadn't taken them long after that to be hit by wave after wave of tiredness as, the lateness of the night and the effects on them from the alcohol, took their final hold before sending them all off into a deep slumber. Kate in Jacks arms, stretched out on the couch, Charlie and Claire had grabbed some pillows and piled them up near the window to lie against, Shannon and Sayid were once again attached, Shannon resting her head on his chest, and even Sawyer and Ana were sleeping cuddled together happily, a smile on Sawyers face, showing what he really felt.

Jack opened his eyes. He shut them tightly again, as an impulse aversion to the light. His head was still spinning even after hours of sleep, opening his eyes slowly again; he was thwarted once more as the room span making him even dizzier than he was. He lay for five minutes just trying to fight the reaction from his body, before squinting slightly so that he could see but with his eyes not fully open. He had managed, somehow, a better job this time, to keep things tidy. Other than the numerous bottles, cans and glasses, his room was in one piece. Scanning the room, it seemed that the rest had stayed pretty much the way they were the last time he could recollect seeing them, except for one. Kate had moved…_again. Why can't she just stay in one place?_

He got up stepped over Ana and Sawyer, smiling at the thought of how Ana might take things later on when she would wake, headed to the door and went downstairs to the kitchen.

His dad was sitting at the table with a coffee reading the paper, he looked up and nodded to Jack, who greeted him back with a 'morning', while heading for the drawer that had aspirin in it, then got out a bottle of water from the fridge, and walking over to stand in front of his father.

"Hangover?" He asked Jack, still reading the paper.

"Just a bit." He said with a small laugh, while taking the aspirin with the water, then heading back out the room, and upstairs again.

As he re-entered his bedroom, Shannon, who was running in the direction of the bathroom, covering her mouth, knocked him sideways into the doorframe.

"Oh great." He said to himself and flopped back down on the empty settee. He looked over to his bed and smiled, seeing a small poof of hair sticking out from between a pillow and the duvet. The pile began to shuffle, and Kate's head popped up, catching eye contact with Jack immediately and then breaking out into a grin.

"What? It's comfy…and warm…and smells good, and…Oooh." She said squirming, half stretching, while half wrapping herself tighter with the duvet.

A quick 'shut up!' was heard from Sawyer who didn't move or open his eyes, but just continued to lie the same, apparently not happy with the talking.

Jack smothered a laugh at this, then got up and quietly walked over to the bed, pulling up the duvet, and getting in beside her, cuddling up close.

"You do realise your at the wrong end right?" Jack asked, pulling up the duvet, liking the warmth much better than the cold of the settee and hearing another complaint from Sawyer.

Kate let out a giggle. "Sooooo." Whispered back, sliding her arm underneath his that was holding her, and playing with the hem of his t-shirt round the back.

"So you like the smell then?" Jack asked in a hushed voice, feeling very proud that his girlfriend was attracted to his scent.

"Mmmmmhmm." She replied with, shuffling even closer to him, burying her face in his shirt, and taking in a deep breath.

He placed a kiss into her hair, feeling her smile into his chest, then rested his head down on the pillow, tightening his hold on Kate, and closing his eyes once again, seeing coloured spots as he did so, before swiftly dropping off to sleep again.

Shannon walked back in ten minutes later, after having spent at least half that time with her head down the toilet, but certainly felt better after it. As she walked in she took in the appearance of the room, and couldn't help but feel happy when she saw the rest of her friends cuddled together in their couples, even for Sawyer and Ana Lucia, who seemed to have an on off relationship, but most of all happy when she saw Sayid awake waiting for her return. She went over and lay down next to him, resting her head back on his chest and holding on tight.

"Do you feel any better?" Sayid asked sincerely.

"Yeah. I do now, thanks." She said in reply.

"Dammit! Shut up!!" Sawyer actually opened his eyes this time, shooting across a threatening look, which they mainly ignored.

"God…what rattled his cage…" Shannon muttered to Sayid quietly, settling back down as it seemed no one wanted to be up yet.

It got to about eleven, when Claire woke, tiredness gone and the sound of cars passing in the street every so often, waking her completely. She turned her neck round to see if Charlie was still sleeping, to find that he was also awake and was just watching her. She smiled and leaned back and kissed him.

"How long have you been watching me?" she asked with a small yawn.

"Oh, only about half an hour." He replied smiling at how cute he thought she looked in the morning.

"Oh my… I don't do anything embarrassing do I?" She said with a small panicked look on her face.

"Only when you started talking about how handsome you thought I was." She went bright red. "Nah…I'm only joking." He said with a laugh, before being playfully hit by her. "But you do snore." This time she hit him a bit harder but began laughing. "Kidding" He said raising his hands up, which got roughly yanked back down, so that they were back around her.

Everyone was sitting round the table, finally up, Shannon was sitting on Sayid's knee playing with the little tuft of hair he was letting grow on his chin, Claire was sitting next to them, with Charlie standing beside her, Ana Lucia was sitting in the next chair with Sawyer crouched down leaning on the table, things between them had been pretty quiet since getting up, no outbursts and shouting, and Ana even got caught smiling at him at one point. Kate was sitting on the last chair with Jacks arms wrapped around her and his head resting on top of hers.

"So does everyone want to go?" Sawyer asked the group, he was referring to the town fair, which had arrived for the summer.

This was answered by a lot of agreement; Jack, Kate and Sawyer had gone every year since they could remember traditionally, with new additions adding on over the years as they met more of their now best friends.

As they were going to go straight there from Jack's, they decided to take showers to clean up, and wash the drunken feeling off themselves. Even with the feeling of the alcohol effects, the previous night had no doubt cheered everyone up.

Despite the moment when Shannon tried to burst in on Sayid in the shower, things went pretty smoothly, even Sawyer stayed remotely calm through the hustle and bustle.

Once ready, they headed in the direction of the fair, which was held just up from the beach on the promenade. It was a cool night, with a nice warm breeze coming in from inland, taking out the heat of the day. It was already six o'clock when they arrived at the coast, taking in the sight of the usual set up which they smiled at, remembering times in the past. The stalls, numerous stalls, of food, drinks, games, just about everything you could want to buy at a fair. And the rides; the swings for the younger children, the many slides, also mainly aimed at the younger ones although they had managed to sneak on in quite a few occasions over the years. The mini carts further along the walk, which always brought up competition between them, and the biggest interest to them all, the ferris wheel. You didn't go to the fair without at least once going on the wheel. Once up top, the view stretched out right across the town, disappearing into the city, and in the other direction, out into the vast ocean, one of the most romantic interests of the wheel, especially at that time of night, with the setting of the sun.

"Come on." Kate said to the group, who were just standing happily taking in the scene. She tugged on Jack's hand for him to follow, and he knew exactly where she heading for and so did the rest too.

**Muahahaha! I have a few more ideas for the second half, but if there's anything else you want added, say so in your review ;D**


	17. Summer Surprises

**Ooooohhh Myyyy Goooooood! I'm the first one to slap myself for how long I took to update, anyone else wants a shot, go ahead. Lol**

**Anyways for those who have seen the mini season of LOST – OMG! Jate is soooooo going forward at an unbelievable rate! Wooyea! The J/K scenes were so powerful, even more than anything they tried with S/K.**

**And for those that haven't – You have sooooooooo much to look forward to. :D**

**BELIEVE! Jaters! Keep the faith!**

They got to the wheel. Jack and Kate got on first, mainly because Kate just about dislocated Jack's arm in the process of dragging him towards it. They were followed by Claire and Charlie, who seemed just as eager, then Sawyer and Ana, who didn't seem to be complaining either, which surprised the rest of the group so much, and then Shannon and Sayid, who didn't really mind so long as they were comfortable and as they would soon be, in a chair, so that they wouldn't have to stand while making out.

It was a wonder that those two had managed to actually get in there cage so easily saying as they weren't really paying much attention to the guy that was telling them to get on and to where they were headed in their blindness of each other.

Sawyer and Ana, once being enclosed, suddenly hit silence and a sort of nervous tension. Sawyer was mentally kicking the crap out of himself, while Ana was amusedly watching the process, even if he wasn't physically doing it. She was the one to break the awkward silence by, literally hitting his ego and insulting his sudden nervousness, which quickly turned into an enjoyable banter for the pair.

Claire and Charlie were being typically romantic. Charlie liked nothing better than to just hold her and feel happy and content, and that's what they were just doing. He had is arms wrapped tightly around her as they watched the sun setting, whispering to her every now and then, or placing a kiss softly on her. They were enjoying the along time, even if there friends were the next seat up or down, and the fact that they could hear Sawyer and Ana sending flirtatious insults back and forth.

Jack and Kate were different again. They were sitting holding hands looking out and around but holding a conversation, looking back at the last fair that they had came to and how different it had been; no couples, just the group of friends, no Charlie, or Ana. The conversation then turned to the current year.

"I'm sooooooo going to win on the carts. You haven't won in what, five years, yeah, five years...and the only reason was because you bumped Shannon off the track and she crashed and I stopped and went to see if she was alright." she said laughing at his now guilty face.

"I...I didn't mean to completely crash her off the track, you know."

"Awwww little Jackie getting a guilty conscience. Awwwwwwww!" She started taking the mick, pulling him across hugging him and patting his head.

Jack began to laugh at this. "Ok." He gave her a prod in the side, which made her jump with ticklishness, making the cage swing violently. "Whoops." He said as she literally leapt into his arms, in a sudden panic.

"Whoah! What's going on up there?!" Charlie asked, looking up at the cage ahead, which was swinging back and forth. A grin passed over his face, which Claire noticed and nudged him, before he broke out in a series of wolf whistles.

"Chaaarrlie!!" Claire found the idea funny too, but for the sake of her friends she would try to stop him, but was quite evidently fighting a losing battle.

"Are they fighting? Since when do they fight…ever?" Ana asked confused.

"I dunno…wait…who's upfront again, their cage is swinging, so that's probably what Charlie's whistling at…" Sawyer turned around to check who was behind, having completely ignored in what order they had got on the wheel. "Ooooh! It's Jacko and Freckles!" He said, his face lighting up as if he had just been told some very compromising gossip.

"Oh don't you start…how do you even know what they're doing?" She replied to him. _Boys_.

"Phew…I'm glad that's over." Kate said relieved as the cage had stopped swinging, eventually, moving back off Jack and back to her seat.

"Yeah. And we have to get off now as well." He stated as they came to a stop again.

They stepped off and waited for the rest to come off as well in their order, standing close, Jack watching Kate as she watched her friends, catching him out every now and then.

Once they were all back together they headed off to the karts. Sayid filled in Ana and Charlie on what it was like every year with Jack, Kate and Sawyer being extremely competitive when it came to that point of the fair, forgetting all reason, other than to win the race by whatever means.

"Not meaning to put you off or anything…" Sayid said to the horrified look that was now on Charlie's face. "…But I would just advise you to stay out of their way." He said with an all to well knowing laugh.

"I think I could give them a bit of a challenge." Ana Lucia replied looking over at the three who were sticking on helmets, rubbing her hands together quite evily, and wandered off over to them to get ready also.

"Come on Charlie, come and grab a helmet." Claire came across and took him by the arm, leading him towards the track.

"Your not serious are you?" Charlie asked her, thinking that she was completely crazy.

"We allllllllways go on, this years no different." She said to him sternly but also with a laugh.

Everyone geared up, Kate and Sawyer stole the front two karts in the line up, and just behind them were Jack, and then a terrified Charlie, who was being slightly taunted by Shannon and Claire at the back, and then followed by Ana Lucia and Sayid.

The old guy who owned the attraction knew the kids well, most of them from being little and knew that they loved a bit of rivalry on the karts. He smiled at them then turned the lights on green for them to go and watched as they shot out of the pit.

Sawyer and Kate shot round the first bend, Kate taking the lead having the advantage on the corner but was caught up again and rammed slightly by him, who was then in turn rammed by Jack who had seen it.

Claire and Shannon, who were happily plodding along at their own pace, were quickly passed by Kate, then Sawyer, then very quickly after, Jack, then Ana and Sayid, which made them scream before swerving off sideways.

Sawyer couldn't control his laughter when he looked back and Saw that Charlie had pulled over and was helping them back on the track. While he was not paying attention, Jack overtook, pulling a face at him on the way past.

"Hey!" Sawyer yelled at him pointlessly.

Ana Lucia came up behind, and tried to PIT sawyer which did not go down well. He then lined up which her and put his foot down on the brake suddenly, which made her swerve to miss him, as she stuck a fist up at him. He quickly put his foot back down and tried to catch back up with Jack. Through this Sayid had also taken over the pair smiling at them briefly as he passed.

The next two laps were a mix of Kate, Jack, Sayid, Ana and Sawyer taking over each other in different ways, causing shock to Shannon and Claire who had just given up after Charlie had helped them and had left the track with him in tow.

"Hey look. They're gathering quite a crowd." Charlie said to the two girls, who were squealing every now and then.

"Quite a crowd? There's one person other than us." Shannon said to him, after looking along the fence they were leaning on, to see a girl watching the race intently, who at that point left, as the remaining five came in to the pits at the end.

Kate had won, much to the distaste of the boys, Ana had come in Second, followed by Jack who came in a close third, Sayid, then Sawyer who was fuming, to the point where he was red and you could imagine steam coming out of his ears. The other four were finding this hilarious, but tried to keep calm for the sake of the nice evening, which had gone so far without a fight between Sawyer and…anybody really.

The rest of the night was enjoyed by all, having left the karts, they all got ice creams and candyfloss and went for a wander along the beach, sitting for a bit, watching the faint glimmer of the moon on the water surface.

* * *

Another two weeks passing by like nothing, they had started to give up on trying to find something to do everyday, and stopped doing strenuous activities as the heat and sunshine had become only one thing to the girls. Countless hours of lying in the sun.

It would start, most of the time, with them all there but slowly the guys would get bored and go off and do something else, which to them, was more fun. Usually playing football on a field or doing something remotely boyish.

One of the days, they had got really bored, and so when they had came back from getting ice creams, Charlie had been dared by Sawyer to drive Shannon crazy, so when they returned he dumped the rest of his ice cream on her, much to her dislike. This had followed with her chasing him madly around Kate's garden, which the rest of the group collapsed in a heap of laughter.

Jack came out of his back door one morning, sniffing in the fresh and still cool early air, looking up into the sky to see the sun already high in its place. Summer seemed such a peaceful time.

He heard a small shuffle, and turned his head to the left, rising up onto tip toes a bit to see over the fence. Squinting slightly against the sun, blinding him from the side, and saw Kate lying out in the sun. He smiled slightly knowing that her still, sunbathing wouldn't mind her now, but soon she would want to get up and do things, one of the reasons why years and years ago she started climbing the tree in Jack's garden.

Suddenly he got startled out of thought and memory and was brought back to the present by the appearance of Claire. She made her way to Kate sitting down next to her and taking up the same action.

But once again he was shocked out of the complete silence he was in by Sawyer emerging at the door.

"Hey, I'm just gonna get a drink will your being all… Duuuude you're spying on the girls…let me join!" He got all excited and made his way closer to the fence.

"Sawyer!" Jack made a lunge for him to take him back away from the fence and not disturb the girls.

One thing he didn't want right now was the girls finding out that he had been standing watching and that for the bigger part, Sawyer was too. Jack actually liked that he was respected by the girls for how well he treat them, and he knew Sawyer just wouldn't care and would drop _anyone_ in it if he could.

Being sods law and all, everything just came crashing down around his ankles. A window opened from above them, and out of it the heads of Ana Lucia, and Shannon popped out.

"Oh my god!" Shannon screeched, alerting Kate and Claire to their presence also. "The guys are perving!!!"

"What?" Kate and Claire chimed ion unison.

"Scrap that…" Ana Lucia said, at a normal decibel, to Shannon, with a very evil look on her face, which was reciprocated by Shannon, with a mischievous grin. "JACK and SAWYER are perving on you guys!" Ana Lucia shouted back down again, giving Sawyer a wink.

Two screams that were mingled with giggles were heard, as Jack grabbed a grinning Sawyer by the collar and legged it back in the house, slamming the door shut and turning the key in the lock knowing fine well Kate and Claire would have no problem walking in. In that time they had even managed to burst out laughing at the complete failure of a situation.

The handle of the door began moving, but with it locked, that was all it did.

"Jack Shephard! Open this door! RIGHT NOW!" Which was clearly followed by fits of giggles by the four girls.

"They sound happy…maybe they wont castrate us…" Sawyer started.

"Right this minute? Yeah, maybe in five…after a drink, or two." Jack replied getting sarcastic with him, but in an amused way.

Sawyer took hold of the handle, hearing silence once again from the other side of the door.

"Ok, you ready?" He asked.

"No."

"Ok, three, two, one…" He turned the key, and pulled on the handle, putting on a cheeky smile for the girls, as he did, standing slightly to the side while Jack stood directly in the middle of the door way.

"…Howdy!" Sawyer chanted cheerfully as he'd done no wrong.

The girls stood their for a second quietly still in bikini's, which they were hoping were distracting them from thinking of excuses.

"Like what you see?" Ana Lucia asked.

"Hell yes!" Sawyer nearly shouted, grinning from ear to ear.

"Sawyer!" Jack shouted back at him, punching him in the arm.

"Hey! What was that for?!" He asked back, forgetting the girls for a second.

The girls were very happily enjoying this, now Jack and Sawyer were bickering at each other, Jack telling him off for saying that, and Sawyer protesting that he could say anything he wanted.

"Ok…I think we've done enough teasing for one day…or for the minute at least." Claire said, heading back through the gate and into Kate's garden again.

Shannon followed her, while Ana Lucia signalled five minutes on her hand to Sawyer, which he nodded to smiling, and Kate waved cheekily at Jack and stuck her tongue out at him making him laugh, as did she, before she left also.

Sawyer was looking at Jack expectantly.

Jack looked across to him and couldn't understand why he was waiting for him to say something.

"Just go." He pointed to the door, smiling at him, knowing he was wondering if he would mind him running off while they were hanging out, despite not doing anything at all. "I'll give Charlie and Sayid a ring. See if they want to come over." Jack said to the empty hallway, that just under a second ago had contained Sawyer also.

* * *

The last two weeks of the holiday passed in a blur of boredom, fun and even a bit of wildness. Although the latter was not really started by them but was certainly ended.

There had been notice sent around of another party down on the beach, this time just on the beach though, that would be full of blazing fires, music blasting, teens drinking themselves into a drunken stupor and no doubt ending with being thrown in the ocean at some point. So they thought…

"Why not?!" Claire stated to the group, after Sawyer and Sayid had returned to them with a flyer they had unpinned from a tree nearby. "It will no doubt be fun, and it would be funny to see half the towns worth of teens squished onto the beach." She said with a slight laugh getting a cartoonier, than real picture in her head.

"Hehehe…" She let it escape her.

"What's so funny?" Charlie said checking himself out, as she was sort of spaced out staring round about his shoulder area. "Is there something on me?" He started flinging his arms wildly around his shoulders as if trying to brush something off, panicking slightly.

"Charlie, there's nothing there, I think she was just thinking rude thoughts again." Kate said at which she gained a shove, which set her off laughing.

"Was not. Just had a funny image that's all…" She said turning pink slightly.

"Funny in what _way_?" Sawyer asked pressing her for the sake of his interest.

"Ok guys just leave it, its not important." Jack tried to get back onto the topic.

They all agreed to go, knowing it would probably be the last time in the summer that they would be able to go to a party.

They had gathered together before going down, Sayid and Charlie wearing bags carrying there drinks, deciding not to take much as they wanted to get home eventually, and headed down to the beach to find that already there was a large group of people stretched out along the beach, in various intervals where fires were.

They greeted a few people they knew from the classes, standing or sitting near a fire for warmth, enjoying the company, and laughing at those who had already had one too many on the drinks side of things. Everyone was in a playful mood and generally happy, the whole beach giving off a good vibe.

Ana Lucia had accidentally spilt some of her drink over sawyer as she laughed at Sayid telling a story, and was quickly picked up, despite her kicking and screaming, and ran with down to the water by a very childish Sawyer. The was a ear drum splitting scream and a splash as he dumped her unceremoniously into the cold water, standing proudly, and not noticing arms coming up behind him and round his neck, as he was dragged backwards in a choke hold into the water. The rest of the group and company, spent quiet a few minutes watching the back and forth repetition of retaliation from the two as one got dunked then the other, until forgetting their purpose they started making out in the water as if nothing had happened.

Jack and Kate had wandered off along the beach for a bit of peace and quiet, as could be, and returned along the shoreline. They stood for a while looking out into the distance of the ocean, not being bothered by anybody until Kate felt a big whoosh, and Jacks hand being ripped from hers.

She was startled to see that Jack had been tackled by Mark, who had apparently just shown up while they had been away.

They went splashing into the water, Mark taking an instant shot at Jack while he was still submerged.

"This is for getting my arrested!" He shouted taking another shot but missing as Jack tossed him of and got up absolutely soaked.

Next thing Sawyer and Sayid had come running down to the water, checking if Kate was alright, and standing looking at the two very wet guys glaring at each other.

"Don't do this." Jack warned him, he didn't want to fight, it was a nice night, and then this had happened. Mark took another swing, which Jack blocked and took his chance to strike back hoping that it would end the fight soon if he realised it was pointless. The punch knocked him down to the floor and back into the water.

He got up immediately again and tried once more, once again failing, evidently showing that he had been drinking heavily, and gaining another bruising by Jack.

With one last glare at Jack, he got up out of the water again, and swayed back off up the beach and away into the night leaving the few people who were near wondering what it was all about and Kate, Sayid and Sawyer, watching Jack intently to see how he was reacting.

He looked up from the water, and too Kate.

"You alright?" He asked putting a hand to her arm. She nodded in reply, not saying a word but he eyes relaying everything she could have said in care.. He then looked to Sayid and Sawyer, nodded to them each and all four made their way back up the beach to the remainder of the group.

With the night, containing that, the mood had sort of died and they all felt like just leaving and spending he rest of the night in.

But for them, they had loved the summer anyways, best time of the year, and once again a new year was coming round again, the second year of college, and then forward to their futures, and whatever that may hold.

**Oh my, what a let down of an ending… hmmm… need some more action! Cliffhangers! Romance! Angst! And er other stuff… lol yeah…**

**Anywhoo, next time they're back to college again. Please review people! If there are any Jaters left to review…or anyone one for that matter. lol :D**


	18. Halfway There

**I'm sorry for abandoning this. I've had ship issues, and show issues, and I really lost the spirit to write, or even enjoy the show for a while. I'm still not back 100, but I'm trying. I had a small urge to carry on writing recently, so bear with these attempts. I hope you enjoy it all the same. If not, poke me till I get my act back together.**

Sawyer walked along the street heading towards college once again, the start of the first term of their second year. It was obvious to outsiders, that today was the first day back. Once more the streets surrounding the college were full of young people, some returning, some coming for the first time. It was plain to Sawyer which of these defined each person he passed or saw.

The first years stood in large groups, looked giddy with excitement, and were loud. Whenever they moved they stayed as a gaggle, rather than separating…it was like the beginning of high school all over again for these people. A mixture of emotions, one of them being fear, in there somewhere. This Sawyer knew some fun could be had from.

He turned into the college, and up the well known stairs, passing more first years, a group of girls who had their eyes locked on him, giggled madly as he went by and give them a dimpled grin. Okay, so maybe he wouldn't torture all of them.

"Hey! Sawyer!" Jack came from the side greeting him loudly, turning a few heads with the disturbance.

"Hey…good, you should know where you are going… I was planning on wandering till someone found me." He said with a small laugh, and he distantly heard the girls he'd just passed in fits of giggles again.

"Actually I don't…I was kinda doing the same thing. They really should have told us at the end of last year, where we were supposed to go. It's not like we have a timetable yet or anything." He informed him, while looking around to see if he could spot anyone else.

"HEY! JASON!!" Jack started shouting full belt over the small crowds, until another boy turned around, and waved his arm above the heads of people, to show he'd heard.

"WHAT DO WE DO?" Flailing his arms around in the air again, which Sawyer was finding amusing.

"I DON'T KNOW! I'M JUST GOING TO HEAD TO MY FORM!" He replied back across the crowd, of which some had stopped and were listening.

"OKAY! SEE YOU LATER!" The other guy waved back once more before disappearing. Jack turned to Sawyer, "You'd think I'd have thought of that first… I swear I come back to college and five minutes in I'm already brain dead at the thought." He babbled half to himself, brushing a hand over his head, and then starting to move out of the crowd towards their old room.

"See what education does to you. Screws with your head!" Sawyer stated following after him.

Further down the corridor, there was another outburst of screaming of names, which came from their right.

"SAWYER!! JACK!!"

It was Claire, who came bounding out of the door to the girls toilets from the side, and bounced at them happily.

"You do realise I saw you yesterday, right?" Sawyer said to her, trying to stop her from hugging him, and succeeded to, where she then jumped on Jack.

"Come on, Kate and Charlie are waiting down here." She said, grabbing both of them by their shirts and forcefully marching them on.

"I can walk. I can walk. I can walk…" Sawyer started muttering, but Claire continued on and ignored him.

"Hey you guys!" Came Charlie's shouts as they approached, welcoming his friends. "Here comes another year of torture.

"You're tellin' me." Sawyer agreed, as Claire finally released her grip.

"Hi Charlie." Jack replied, nodding towards him, then turned to Kate, who instantly slipped her hand into his, smiling at him.

"Has anyone seen Ana Lucia, or the gruesome twosome?" Claire asked everyone else as they moved further down the same corridor, that last year at this exact moment, they had been wandering down quite clueless as to where they were headed. As they went they passed yet more first years, who seemed to be a shadow of their former selves, trying to find where they were going, and looked slightly worried about being on time.

The three guys shook their heads and shrugged, where as Kate replied.

"Not yet. They'll turn up….either that or they're already in form."

Sure enough, they turned into their room, which happened to be the right place to be for finding out about timetables and what was going on, and there they were sitting at their table, the usual.

Shannon sat up straighter and started waving rapidly at them, as they made their way over. Sayid who had had his head in a book, looked up at their arrival, and stood up, moving to shake hands with Jack. Sometimes they could act right like old men, greeting for the first time in a decade, but it was just the way they were with each other. Full of respect. He sat back down as did the rest taking their seats, and waiting for someone to come in and tell them what to do. Surveying the room, they greeted others, fellow classmates and old acquaintances, asking how holidays had been and so on.

After five minutes or so, Greg walked in his cheerful self, and shouted hello to his form class. He proceeded to move round the room, handing out slips of paper with timetables, unique to each student, unless of course they had chosen the same things, and chance had stuck them in the same class.

Some students worried too much about being alone, and had, at the beginning, chosen together with their friends as to not be separated. Their group was different for this reason. Despite being always together, they each understood that they had futures that lead somewhere, and they'd have to independently take their own path to reach these goals, even if it meant taking classes with a bunch of strangers. Just the way life was going to be. Sharing interests, though, did give them a chance to share some classes together.

A few groans at the reality of the renewed college year, and then people headed off to do their own thing during the morning periods, which had been taken up by the influx of new students. Afternoon lessons were scheduled to be back in full throttle.

They all went off to their classes that afternoon and in true pathetic fallacy style, the sky came over dark and rain came pelting down. It really brightened the mood of the students.

"Argh, I feel like crying." Ana Lucia said out loud to Claire.

"You do?!" Claire perked up, feeling almost hopeful that Ana was about to lighten up.

"No." She replied in monotonous way, and looking at her sideways.

Their class was disturbed by many others also complaining; from the skaters to the football players, people complained, much to the annoyance of their teacher.

Soon thunder and lightning surrounded them which really put a dent in the classes concentration. Nobody could give a crap about the lesson, it was a storm.

"Wait…" Ana Lucia said.

"What?" Claire answered looking a bit confused at what she was supposed to be waiting for.

"I think I just heard Kate shriek." She started laughing.

"But she's all the way down the other end of the corridor." Claire said in disbelief.

"I know." And with that Ana was just about sprawled on the table dead, and clutching at herself.

Students around them started to get up, and a quick look at the clock and then at her watch Claire noticed the lesson had just finished. They headed out into the hall, and could already hear Kate running and screaming towards them, while seeing the path she was making easily through the crowd as most people literally jumped out of her way.

"STORMS!!! OH MY GOD! A! STORM! CLAAAAAAAAAAAAIREEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!" Kate was screaming at the top of her lungs, with a manic grin plastered across her face.

"Oh, here she comes…this is going to be…" She started but was interrupted by Kate actually skidding to a halt right beside them, "…KATE! Hey!" She said sticking a smile on her face. "Yaaay." She said quite sarcastically, waving her hands in the air, but Kate was that wrapped up in her excitement that she didn't even notice.

"I want to go outside! I want to go outside! I want to go!" She said bouncing when she heard another thunder clap, and started heading towards an exit.

Claire started to follow, signaling for Ana Lucia to follow also, and started trying to protest.

"Kate, you'll get wet."

"Well yeah, rain is generally wet." She turned around but continued walking backwards, people having to move out of the way for her.

Jack came out from a side door.

"Hey Kate…where are you going?" Watching her keep walking. "Claire, what's…oh wait…storm, right." He finished himself, joining the two girls in their fast paced strides.

Kate finally made it out of the main entrance, and stood looking up at the sky, the rain coming down on her like a solid force, as forked lightning streaked across the sky much to her delight. Then the small moment of silence, all but the rain, and then the loud rumblings of the thunder pierced the air, along with a shout of joy from Kate. She was the only one standing out in it, and a crowd had gathered to see what was going on.

People at the back began to get impatient and started pushing at the crowd to get out the door. With this the mass of people started to disperse out into the rain, many using their bags for cover, as they head off home.

Claire and Ana Lucia walked towards Kate, and linked either side of her marching her away from the college and in the direction of home, being followed by Jack who just thought it was funny.

**Reviews are appreciated.**


	19. IMadness

**I'm all alone. There's no one here beside me. My troubles have all gone. There's no one to deriiiiiiide meeeeeee!!!!!! Yes readers please come back...otherwise I will continue singing. LOL. **

* * *

Another strike of lightning, another explosion of sound, and Kate started to squeal again, bouncing as much as she could in her human restraints either side of her. Neither were letting go. 

"Claire. Ana. Let. Me. Go!" As she tried to struggle.

"Are you actually going to go home?" Claire asked raising her eye brow at her, and laughing at the mock look of annoyance from Kate in return.

"Of course you dork… I love storms, you know that, but I will go home." She replied, rolling her eyes.

"HEY! Wait up!" Jack and Sawyer came running up to the three girls, just as drenched as them. "So I take it neither if you three got the weather report for today either."

The three shook their heads. Water went everywhere…not that it really mattered though, it was still pouring with rain, and didn't look like it would stop for a good few hours; dark sky extended off into the distance, for what they could only guess as miles.

It took them a little longer than usual getting home, which was kind sods law considering the weather was crap, and prompted Jack to ask his parents for a car when he arrived home, to which they laughed.

Claire got in and received complaints for the swimming pool she'd dragged in with her, that was now situated in the hallway. She dripped her way all the way up the stairs and to the bathroom before stripping down to her underwear, wrapping herself in a towel, and collapsing on her bed. Nicely timed to her relaxing the phone began ringing. Letting out a frustrated growl, she leaned over and picked it up.

"Hello?"

"HAVE YOU SEEN THE NEWS?!"

"No, sorry Kate, I haven't…I just had enough time to remove all the wetness and lay down." Claire laughed.

"THERE'S THIS BIG WEATHER FRONT THING, WHICH MEANS CRAP WEATHER ALL WEEK…WHICH MEANS STOOOOOOOOOOORMS!!!!!!!!!!" Kate shouted down the phone, which caused Claire to hold it away from her ear.

"Okay… erm… I think that means no going out tonight then…" She shouted back, still holding the phone away from her.

"WHAT?! Why?" Kate yelled bluntly back.

"I've already destroyed the carpet once tonight, and I don't think my mom will appreciate it again."

"Aww, okay… I guess everyone will agree with that." Kate admitted. "Yeah. Oh well…still the rest of the week." She grinned evilly to herself. "I have some French to finish up anyways" She said sounding a little disappointed. "See you tomorrow!"

"Byeeee!!" And with a click she finished the call and went back to relaxing in the warmth of the fluffy towel.

Kate settled for lying on her bed, with the curtains open watching, that night, only moving to go eat, or wash before bed.

* * *

Sayid woke at 7am. It was still raining. He yawned got up and went to shower, thinking of how pointless it really was considering in an hour and half he'd probably be soaked through again. Nevertheless he got ready, dragging a heavy coat out of his closet in the hopes that wearing it would repel some water. He had breakfast, packed his back with the few books he needed for the day, and set on out for college. 

He walked into the main entrance and headed off down the corridors, a guy from the football team falling into step, asking if he had heard anything of practice, and if he'd heard the rumour of something going on in college. Sayid had no clue, and headed off to Maths.

"Morning." Jack greeted him as he took his seat. "You heard about this rumour thing."

"Yeah, Rowley mentioned it on the way…didn't say much though." He answered throwing his bag on the floor, then unzipping it.

"I don't think anyone knows what exactly it's about yet." Jack said twiddling his pen in between his fingers.

Sawyer entered the room at that point and sat next to Jack.

"You guys heard that rum-" He started and got cut off half way through the word 'rumour'.

"RUMOUR? Yes. I think everyone has." Jack finished for him.

A group of girls passed the door, and Kate departed from them, waving, and headed over to sit next to Sayid.

"Hey!" She greeted the 3 boys. "There's this thing going round the college…don't know the details, something's happening." She cheerfully added.

Jack put his head on the desk and left it there, while Sayid rubbed his eyes. Sawyer looked at Kate and shrugged, which she reciprocated, then got her notepad out for the lesson just as their maths teacher turned up.

"RIGHT! As you will have probably heard… it seems it's all over the college, and terms only just began… there's something going on, and it's good for you guys." He said positively and with a smile to the class, which Jack lifted his head off the desk to see, and was suddenly interested.

"Recently the college was nominated for some awards, and it turns out we won a few, and with this we were awarded state of the art technology for those in HL programmes." He stopped and looked at the class, who looked back at him confused. "That would be you." He tried…and finally got a response of 'ahh's from them. "Each student now has their own personal laptop, which will be useful this year in your studies here, and also for your own private use at home. As you will see today, around the college, we are currently having a wireless internet network installed."

Cheers from the class erupted.

"Okay, okay…calm down now. We actually have to do some work today."The teacher announced, wafting his arms around, trying to get their attention. "Oh and you should have a form period tomorrow morning to get them." More cheering.

They couldn't get through the day quick enough, and into the next. The next morning they all met up together and headed to their form, excitedly.

Within the hour they were sorted, and off to their remaining classes…all laptops were the same, so they were defined by what the user made of them. Taking advantage of the unrestricted access to the internet the college currently had, they all installed im services, figuring they'd never have to be alone in a lesson again.

Kate found that hers came in handy with her art classes, installing editing programmes, so that she could learn digital art to a new level, than the old programmes the college had in the library allowed. Charlie added music software that let him compose, and mix tracks, while Claire created a blog. Jack added feeds to science journals, Ana installed Metal Gear Solid 2 finding no other use but for games, when she didn't have to work on it, and Sayid took his apart and put it back together with extras.

Assignments, projects, essays, research, and general homework were to be done, or that was the theory, on the laptops. The college grasping onto some hope that it might provoke them to express themselves more, when it felt more personal.

Of course…that WAS the plan.

BEEP.

Click. Click. Click. Click.

Beep.

Giggle.

"Miss Littleton, please keep your mind on the task, thank you." The teacher reminded her, and the rest of the class with a long look around the class, that were engrossed in the flashing lights of screens in front of their faces.

Claire clicked on word and began typing again, flicking back to the internet page of information every so often, till she saw the flashing orange on her task bar. With a look as to where the teacher was, and finding him engrossed in papers on his desk, she clicked it.

**RockGod**: Working?

**PeanutButterPrincess: **Yes…sort of

**RockGod: **Haha

**PeanutButterPrincess:** Why aren't you?

**RockGod:** I am…sort of. :-P I'm in the library

**PeanutButterPrincess:** Gah… this lesson sucks

She flipped back onto her WORD page typed 'to' before the bar started flashing at her again. She sighed, and resigned that she would be distracted, and work would take the back seat.

**RockGod:** :D

**PeanutButterPrincess:** Charlie, do you not have work to do? lol

**RockGod:** Soooooome…

_BurnBabyBurn has entered the room_

**RockGod:** Group chat now?

**BurnBabyBurn:** Hey guys!!

**PeanutButterPrincess:** Kate??

**BurnBabyBurn:** Yep!

**RockGod:** Niiice

**PeanutButterPrincess:** Where are you?

**BurnBabyBurn:** Maths_ (snore_) they're teaching us how to write equations with some funky equation programme tha… _(SNOOOOOOOOOOOOOORE)_

**PeanutButterPrincess: **Hahahahahahahaha!!!

_Dr. Sheepherder has entered the room._

_SEXonLEGS has entered the room._

**RockGod:** OMFG LMAO!!!!!!

**BurnBabyBurn:** (_dies laughing)  
_

**PeanutButterPrincess:** Oh that is toooooooooo FUNNY!!!!!!

**Dr. Sheepherder:** _ (frowns)_

**SEXonLEGS: **:D

**Dr. Sheepherder:** I'm actually going to KILL YOU.

**SEXonLEGS: **That's not a very nice thing to say

**Dr. Sheepherder:** Kate just fell off her chair. Haha.

**PeanutButterPrincess:** LMAO!! Oh crap teacher….

_PeanutButterPrincess has left the room._

_BurnBabyBurn has left the room._

Kate was currently being helped up off the floor by the teacher, as she protested that she was alright, she just felt a bit faint. Flushed from silent giggling, the teacher thought she was ill, and recommended that she leave and get some air. He gave her a sheet with instructions on how to continue the work, and ushered her out the door. Giving Jack on last look of 'Oh my god' before she was shoved out the door, she headed off to the library to find a comfortable seat.

Claire had accidentally started laughing out loud which caught the attention of her teacher, and the whole class. After signing off she made it look like she'd found a mistake in her work funny, and explained that she had a strange sense of humour, before clearing her throat, quickly looking around and continuing on typing.

Five minutes later Kate had made it to the library and spotted Charlie sitting on the seat she'd actually been heading for.

He looked up when he saw her coming and a grin broke out on his face, as he leaned across and dragged a chair across for her to sit on.

"I take it Sawyer got to Jack's name, huh?" He said with a small chuckle.

"Yeah, I heard he got to Ana's too…can't wait to see what that says." She said giggling back and getting her laptop out of her bag again.

**RockGod:** Kate's here.

**Dr. Sheepherder:** I wonder if Claire got in trouble…

_BurnBabyBurn entered the room._

**BurnBabyBurn:** Ah there we go.

**BurnBabyBurn:** Hey…Claire still hasn't come back???

**SEXonLEGS:** nope

_Sawyerissohardforme has entered the room._

"OH MY GOD HE DID NOT!!!" Kate screamed, and began laughing, along with Charlie who'd just seen the name too. A few disapproving looks later from the library staff and they took to shoving their fists in their mouth to quench the noises.

**SEXonLEGS:** Hey there chica _(winks)_

**Sawyerissohardforme:** FUCK YOU

Kate broke out into giggles again.

**Dr. Sheepherder:** …and I thought mine was bad. LOL!!

**Sawyerissohardforme:** Shut it, Sheepshagger.

**RockGod:** I think Kate needs a valium or something…she's can't stop laughing.

_PeanutButterPrincess has entered the room._

**PeanutButterPrincess:** OMG who is that?! Lol

**BurnBabyBurn:** I need water… I'm actually dying here. brb

**Sawyerissohardforme:** It's Ana… _(shoots daggers at Sawyer)_

_IDontNeedChocolate has entered the room._

**RockGod:** hello

**IDontNeedChocolate:** Hi everyone

**SEXonLEGS:** Hey

**Dr. Sheepherder:** Hi!

**IDontNeedChocolate:** LOL

**Dr. Sheepherder:** haha…yes it's very funny…

**IDontNeedChocolate:** hee… hi Ana. :-P

**Sawyerissohardforme:** I want to change my name!!!!!

**BurnBabyBurn:** Baack!

**BurnBabyBurn:** Why don't you?

**Sawyerissohardforme:** It says I can't have more than one from the same email. Bah.

**SEXonLEGS:** Damn right!

**Sawyerissohardforme:** I'm going to castrate you.

**SEXonLEGS:** That would be no fun…who are you going to go to then?!

**BurnBabyBurn:** lmao, he's got a point Ana. :-P

**Sawyerissohardforme:** This is NOT being discussed here…EVER… how long till lunch??

**Dr. Sheepherder:** 5 mins…or something… I'm nearly done anyways…we're being let out as soon as we're finished. BTW Shan, Sayid's refusing to sign in while in a lesson.

**IDontNeedChocolate:** We'll soon see about that….hehehe

"I think we should head down to the cafeteria now…no doubt the first years will be filling the place up soon enough." Charlie looked across to Kate who nodded back in agreement.

**BurnBabyBurn:** Me and Charlie are heading to the cafeteria now…see you down there.

**PeanutButterPrincess: **Ooooh I'll be down as soon as I'm done... _(waves)_**  
**

**SEXonLEGS:** okies.

**RockGod: **Bye!

_RockGod has signed off._

_BurnBabyBurn has signed off._

_PeanutButterPrincess has left the room. _

**Dr. Sheepherder:** I'm going to go too…see you in a bit!

_Dr. Sheepherder has left the room._

**IDontNeedChocolate:** Me too! Byeeeeeee

_IDontNeedChocolate has left the room._

**_SEXonLEGS is typing…_**

**Sawyerissohardforme: **Don't even try it…

_Sawyerissohardforme has signed off._

Sawyer looked at the screen…then at the online list. He was the only one left. He signed out shut the laptop after saving his work and started packing away his stuff with the rest of his class.

He head off down the corridor, cursing every few minutes as the 'kiddies' as he liked to call the first year, started pouring out of doors, and blocking the way. They hadn't yet grasped the concept of 'GET OUT THE WAY' and milled around a lot in big groups as if the older students were going to bite them or something. The second years found it so annoying, and had taken to pushing their way through the crowds ruthlessly. They were bigger. They were there first. Who cared?

He finally made it to the cafeteria and spotted Kate and Charlie sitting near a wall, and continued pushing his way through to them, before placing his bag down and hopping over and onto the chair.

"Hey." Kate greeted him.

"Grrrr. I HATE the first years." He growled while opening his bag, and getting some chips out.

"If it wasn't for the fact that we're all suffering, I'd call it Karma." Charlie said with a full mouth.

Right then Ana turned up, along with Shannon, Jack and Claire. Kate grinned and went to take a bite of her sandwich.

Ana Lucia came up behind Sawyer and smacked him across the head with her hand, which made him temporarily choke on his food.

"What the hell was that for?!" He turned around livid, then saw it was Ana, and cheekily grinned before having to duck to miss the second blow, which was aimed for his face. He rubbed his head and turned back round to face the table.

Jack and Shannon ushered Ana round to the other side of the table and sat her down out of Sawyer's reach and placed themselves around her.

"If it wasn't for the fact that my laptop is in my bag…and that these two won't let me, I'd have hit you with my bag instead!" She frowned and smashed her hand into her pack of chips that were on the table.

Charlie lets out a whistle of air, as if to say 'whoaaaaaaah' about the whole situation, and was met by Kate choking on her sandwich because of a giggle. She had no self control at that moment.

Sayid waved over the crowd as he entered the cafeteria with Claire, he noticeably taller than most of the first years anyways. He plopped himself down beside Sawyer, and looked around the group. Kate choking. Charlie laughing and patting her on the back. Ana Lucia twitching slightly in her seat while giving Sawyer a look that had to burn. Sawyer humming to himself happily. Jack staring at Ana. Shannon linked to Ana on the other side. And then Claire sitting down looking a little confused at the silence…well except for Kate.

"Erm…" She started, and stopped again quickly.

"What have you done?" Sayid addressed the whole group.

"Nothing." Ana Lucia answered quickly.

Kate's blockage dislodged and she burst out laughing again.

"OH GOD!!!!!!" Ana stood up knocking Shannon sideways off her chair, and making Jack jump up, ready to restrain her. "I'll see you later… I'm… going…." She trailed off, yanking her bag up and onto her back, before storming off…the crowds seeming to part at her volatile presence.

"Okay…seriously, what did you do?" Sayid asked again, as Jack helped Shannon up and they sat back down.

"LuLu ain't too pleased with me right now." Sawyer boasted quite happily.

"Should have guessed." Sayid replied and shrugged. "Oh by the way… I signed us all up for this thing, where we mentor the first years. " At the looks of horror on the faces of the group he continued on. "Only if they need it, you know? Like if they're stuck on something, your person can come to you and ask you questions." He finished, eliciting a big groan from the others. "Oh come on! It goes on our record as a good thing." He said then taking a drink.

"Sure."

"Yeah."

"Whatever."

Replies of positivity if he'd ever seen them. He rolled his eyes and carried on ignoring them, happier to be on the outside of whatever they'd started amongst themselves.

* * *

**I still can't update as often as I used to when I first started this fic, but I'm hoping to try and get back into writing every now and then when I'm free. Blame college. It sucks. I'll love you if you review. **


	20. Over The Edge

**Sorry for taking so long to update, but I thought about a better way of writing this. I started writing chapters in advance, so I currently have another 3 chapters done (but need editing) and a 4th started. I'd wanted to post this a month ago, but I got distracted on another project. Anywhooooo it all kicks off now, so enjoy!!**

* * *

"What do you mean I have to get up earlier?!" Shannon screamed at Sayid, while the others looked on, all standing in a circle, previously conversing. This had been cut short by the screams of doom.

"Come on. You only have to get into college 20 minutes earlier than usual." He reasoned, coolly. He took her hand in his and rubbed it gently hoping it would send calming vibes to her.

"You do realize I am LATE. Every. Single. Day! I'll have to get up at like…" She flapped her arms around, flustered, while Sawyer who was standing next to her, sidestepped out the way. "4am or something!!" She gave up with a flop of the arms, resting now at her sides.

"And whose fault is that?" Jack lifted his head up to look, and grin, while being nudged sharply in the side by Kate, who shushed him. One, never cross Shannon while in a mood. Two, never cross Shannon while in a mood IN THE MORNING. Definitely not the best way to go about things.

"Gah! BOYS!!!" she shouted to which both Kate and Claire burst out laughing at, while Ana nodded along in full agreement.

Shannon was not one for being disturbed during time she considered the best part of the day. She loved her sleep. She loved her bed. She loved not having that peace disrupted. She'd actually got up one morning and screamed at the paper boy for making too much noise…the kid had then ridden off on his bike crying for the rest of his round. Yes, Shannon was scary when deprived of her sleep.

As they headed a long a corridor, through the bustling crowds, Sawyer decided to play as usual.

"Admit it…what would you live without us?" He switched on the charm and flicked his hair, causing a couple of passing first years to sigh, quite loudly, and Claire to roll her eyes and hit him.

"Quite well, thanks." Ana answered apparently not happy with the flirting and probably more importantly, the first years swooning.

"Do you mind??" Sayid shoved him, referring to Sawyer playing on Shannon, and moving to take her hand tightly and move to the back of the group, out the way of Sawyer.

Sawyer stumbled slightly to the right, and through a group of people, who protested at his intrusion as he made his way out the other side, and shoved Jack who was laughing at him. This sent Jack flying off to the left. On his way he grabbed out for Charlie, grasping his shirt and accidently taking him with him…which was straight into a group of girls, who all let out high pitched screams of terror, as the two boys fell to the floor in the middle of them.

"GET OFF MEEEE!!" Coming from one of the flattened girls underneath.

"AAAAYIIIIIEEEEEEE" A screech that could smash glass coming from the rest. There was no mistake about the fact that they'd just crushed half a dozen young girls.

"Sorry. Sorry. So sorry. Oh god… sorry!!!" Jack got up apologizing profusely, while being glared at. Then he threw a fast death threat at Sawyer. "SAWYER I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!!!" This was quickly interrupted by the fact that he was being hit by the girls who were still standing. "Ouch! I'm sorry...SORRY…"

Charlie stood up also, fending off the slaps, asking those who were on the floor if they needed help up. He extended his hand and received glares, and decided it would be best if he just backed away slowly, smiling slightly, hands raised, patting the air, as if to calm them, and show that he was not the one they wanted to attack, castrate and kill. He had already assumed that if there was one person they would, it would be him, because…well, Jack was Jack.

Sawyer had just about collapsed on the floor with laughter. He could not breathe. Until he saw that Jack had finally emerged from the gaggle, and was storming his way towards him. At this…he ran, much to the amusement of the rest of the group.

Charlie made a swift exit, the rest of the group wasn't even sure if he was headed towards his class, more sure of the fact that he was heading the opposite direction to the girls he and Jack had just crashed through.

"See you in chem…or whatever…Sayiiiiid!!!!!" Kate shouted at Jack and then yanked on Sayid's sleeve, with a chant of his name (making Shannon humph at having Sayid removed) and started walking away.

Shannon replaced the loss by hooking her arm in with Claire, and pulling at Ana, who looked on in horror as she though Shannon was going to try and link with her too.

* * *

Jack turned up ten minutes late for chemistry after chasing Sawyer half way around the college, to where Sawyer was actually, for the first time EVER in his life, running towards his class, thinking that it might be safest option. Of course Jack didn't think of this, it was Sawyer after all, he hated class. When he did realize however, then it was a mad dash back across campus to the labs. He came in late, apologized, and then started muttering about apologizing so many times in the last ten minutes, while unpacking his bag.

The rest of the class had already started setting up equipment that they needed, Kate and Sayid were confidently making steady progress in each of their projects. Kate loved this lesson for the sheer amount of practical work they did. Bung a few chemicals in a test tube and heat. Mix some liquids, test pH. Change state. Burn some hydrocarbons. Burn. Yes she liked that part. During winter when the labs would be cold there would be Bunsen burners lit on each bench, to give the students a little heat. Of course this also meant that work varied from 'slightly charred' to 'fully burnt with holes in it' when it was handed in.

"What have you got?" Sayid asked Kate, looking at her experiment.

"I have absolutely no idea." Kate replied grinning widely, which Sayid laughed at. Kate was crazy in the lesson, she'd take chances; she wasn't stupid, but she liked to be the first to try something, even if it meant leaving the class smelling of rotten eggs or covered in soot.

"Just…be careful." He finished going back to fiddle with his, as Jack, beside him, was finally setting up his equipment.

"I think I need more energy… back in a bit." She said moving the main contents of her equipment to a fume cupboard, heating her experiment in there, hoping that it would burn better in the smaller space.

"So you caught Sawyer?" Sayid asked Jack, not taking his eyes off a test tube he was pouring liquid in. Sayid was the complete opposite to Kate in Chemistry. He was precise, and he was careful. More importantly, he followed the rules.

"No… he went to his stupid class." Jack complained, slamming a small beaker down on the bench a little harder than he had wanted. The glass cracked, and Jack sighed, moving it away from him, closer to the middle of the table out of the way.

"Awww Jack got a boo boo?" Sayid teased, starting to laugh at Jack's current demeanor.

"Just watch what you are doing, man." He said pointing at the solution which was giving off a gas. Right as Jack went to take it away from the flame an explosion ripped through the room, throwing him away from his work and back across the room, landing against another bench.

TBC…

* * *

Bwahaha! 


	21. A Fine Line

**Two chapters in one day, what do you know? Still I'm not happy with how short this chapter is...and the last for that matter. Aaaaaaaand the OMGWTF?! continues...**

* * *

Windows smashed. A loud noise accompanied it and then a lot of screaming, shouting, and swearing. A few stood up alert, looking, while many and majority ducked down off their chairs to ground level. That's what separated people. Those who had some common sense got down, not that being on the floor would help anymore than sitting on a chair, but it was just _safer. _Then of course you had the idiots who think it's cool, or do the opposite to everyone else for the sake of it, either that or they're some kind of hero in training, but it was college…they were idiots. Even Shannon was flat to the ground, covering her head, even if it did mean, literally, being in contact with the dirty, walked on floor. 

"What the fuck was that?!" Ana Lucia shouted, over the sounds of alarms and ultimate terror that seemed to be coming from every direction right at that moment. It seemed like people might as well have not taken their hands away from their heads the second after the sound, as then the alarms had gone off in their screechy, loud, to the point, way they did, and once again hands were up and over ears, which made it considerably harder to communicate.

"Oh my…what's happening?!" Claire screamed back, covering her ears and staying low, while Shannon clung onto her quietly but shaking, staring at others who were also looking around for answers.

As soon as the teacher stood back up and tried to get the attention of the class, people started running for the door, and as it seemed, there was already half the student body of that building blocking the corridor as fear flooded the atmosphere. Practice of all safety routine had been left in disregard. It was literally survival of the fittest, in full throw.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god…" Claire repeated over and over. Ana Lucia grabbed hold of her and stood them up. Claire looked at her, terrified, and for once Ana didn't have the same hardness behind her eyes are she usually did. She didn't have any hold on the situation over anyone else. "Oh my god." She reached into her pocket, searching for her phone. "I have to phone Kate…and Charlie! And…"

"Sayid!!!!" Shannon started screeching, with a complete look of terror on her face. A few people near them, seeing and hearing her freak out, started to panic themselves, causing the rush for the door to become even more frantic than it already was.

"No! Come on, we're getting out of here." Ana Lucia forcefully commanded over the noise, still ignoring the teacher, who as much as he was trying to help, was slowly backing his way towards the classroom door himself, before giving up and running out of it, leaving the remaining students there. "COME ON!!!!!" She shouted once more, following in the footsteps of the teacher and then into the masses.

Despite the running, the crowds being that thick slowed down the exit, and after what felt like forever, making their way down stairs, they emerged out into the fresh air and even more people.

They looked out upon the campus, and saw smoke rising from one of the buildings and fire, visible fire; large flames flicking out of windows.

"What the hell is going on?" Ana asked again, in complete disbelief of what was going on. This was college, boring college. Work, sleep, work, eat, work, A crap college in a small town just outside the city, things like this didn't happen. This was reserved for places with names you couldn't even pronounce.

Claire reached for her phone again, typing away anxiously. Finding Kate first, in her last call list, she dialed immediately, receiving a message from the operator saying that the phone was currently out of service. Charlie came next, his phone ringing on and on, with no answer. She was in the middle of ringing Jack when suddenly shouting came in their direction, thinking that was it them, she cancelled the call and quickly stuffed her phone in her pocket.

"Hey!! HEY!!!" Sawyer shouted across heads, making Ana Lucia jump back to the reality. He was pushing through the crowds again, this time no one seemed to care like earlier. There was that much movement going on and bigger things to think about that one guy moving past was nothing.

"Sawyer!!" Claire ran up to him and hugged him tightly, letting him go again to talk to him. "What's happened?" She asked urgently.

"Hell if I know! WOO!! I think someone set the college on fire!!" Sawyer said punching the air. Typical. Idiot. Boy.

"SAWYER!!" Completely the opposite of 30 seconds earlier, Claire hit him…hard.

"OW! Dammit woman!! What?!" He shouted back offended, the smile completely wiped off his face.

Shannon stepped forward from beside Ana where she'd been standing quietly watching the crowds, having not said anything since they were still inside the building. She was thoroughly shocked and speechless with the whole situation…not at all dealing well with it.

"Have you seen Sayid?" She asked Sawyer, who looked from Claire to Shannon.

"No…no, I haven't seen anyone else. You three are the first I've seen since we were evacuated." He said looking back over at the building.

"Oh…"

"It's their building that is on fire though…" He finished turned back to them. "…isn't it?"

There was silence for a couple of seconds as this registered through their brains, and then formed a reaction.

"What did you say?" Ana asked calmly, eyes wide. The sound of sirens was now one of the main sounds infiltrating the air, as Firemen crowded round the building that was spouting smoke and fire, and contrasted heavily with the calmness that Ana exhibited out of shock.

All four of them looked over at the building, seeing the services work, hoses firing water jets at the building, and shouting of orders flying back and forth. That was it. That was the building with the fire. The same building that had all the chemistry classes and labs in it. The building that should contain Jack, Kate and Sayid. Surely they'd be out somewhere around the campus though…right? That's what they had to keep telling themselves. They were fine. Everything was fine.

* * *

Yes, it has got dramatic, hasn't it? It seems so strange for this story, but I don't think there's been enough drama in it, so I'm getting it out the way...and I also wanted to blow things up, so you know, everyone wins. :P

Reviews appreciated. :D


	22. To The Unexpected

**First off, I posted two chapters yesterday (20 and 21), so I hope nobody had the misfortune of missing one, I know how FF can be sometimes. **

**Let the mayhem continue... **

* * *

There was a loud screeching noise. But it was black. Nothing to see. Where was the sound coming from? And then a new beeping. Something recognizable. But still where was it coming from? Then another sound. Faint but there. Getting louder. Clearer. 

"Ja…Jack….Jack…Jack."

His eyes shot open.

"Jack!!!" Sayid was looking at him and shaking him. The room was black. Wait… Smoke! He could hear the screeching noise of the fire alarms, and he could feel a vibrating and the more familiar beeping coming from his pocket. He reached for it…and it stopped. His hand hovering half way between him and his pocket it stayed there. Snapping back to the moment he looked to Sayid.

"Sayid?" Jack asked disorientated, trying to get up.

"Jack, stay down." Sayid kept his weight on him.

Jack looked at him again, and noticed he was covered in what looked like soot, and a few cuts, which were fresh, and bleeding. Blood; now that was something. He then moved his head back against whatever surface he was leaning on and felt pain. Moving his hand up behind his head he felt warmth, and bringing his hand back in front he saw what he'd guessed at his _own_ blood. He was disoriented, which was understandable considering he'd just been blown backwards, through heat, burning heat, debris, and other flying objects, and into a solid workbench, which he was now lying against the cupboard doors, on the lower part. His chest rose and fell again, and again, steady, trying to slow his heart which was beating so fast it was making him dizzy. Though at this point he wasn't sure whether that was his head doing that to him. He had fazed out again and Sayid was shaking him.

"Sayid." He simply stated, looking at him, then around him. His head was so fuzzy, and it was frustrating him.

"Jack... we need to get out… exit….fire…come on." Sayid's voice was coming through in waves, stronger at times but then weaker and fading away, as if he was moving away, yet he stayed the same. He looked around again. There was something…something wrong…something with that situation, ignoring the fact that he was caught in a lab explosion. Wait. Kate.

"KATE!!" He shouted, having ignored pretty much everything Sayid had said this time voluntarily, in way for his thoughts. "Where's Kate?!" He continued on, to shout at his friend, who looked around, as far as the visibility of the room would allow.

At that Jack began to crawl, staying low. His head clearing a little, he wondered to himself how toxic the room was at that moment, with all the chemicals that had been present…in fact, _what the hell was he crawling in right now? _He thought to himself. Pushing this to the back of his mind he carried on crawling round, past chairs over turned, past two others slowly tugging at a friend who wasn't moving, and round the side of a bench. He could hear Sayid shuffling behind him, saying stuff, but he couldn't process what. He didn't want to. Not right at that moment. Then he saw it.

He started to scramble along the floor, hands and feet crunching over glass, till she came into full view. Kate was lying there bleeding, and covered in debris. She wasn't moving either. He finally reached her, and brought his hands to her face, bending his head close to hers to check her breathing. He let out a sigh as he saw her chest rise and fall ever so slightly with a faint breath.

Sayid came up beside him. It seemed like everything else around them was obsolete. It was as if they'd drowned out the sound of flames and the screams of people in there with them, and severed all nerve endings to forget the heat and pain. They were shell shocked for sure, but this was just…

Sayid moved forward and began lifting Kate's knees. At this Jack shuffled forward too, and hooked his arms, under her back, and to her knees, and with the help of Sayid, they lifted her limp body from the floor, still trying to remain as crouched as possible for the smoke that was engulfing the room. Sayid looked at Jack, said his name once and took the full weight of her body. Jack then lead the way along the edge of a bench, hugging its side tightly, using it as a shield to the flames on the other side, which were rapidly expanding with the rush of air coming from the side of the building and windows.

Another smaller explosion wracked the room, knocking yet more tiles down from the ceiling causing Jack to grab Sayid and force him downwards to his knees, covering Kate with him.

Jack lifted his head, and came to face Sayid's stare locking into it, while dust fluttered down around them. They had to get out, and they had to get out now, there was no doubt about that, and even though it seemed like an easy task, the fire being to their right, and the door being straight ahead, it still seemed impossible. The whole idea itself was unreal.

They got back up again, and continued their way towards the door, going through and coming out the other side to find the main lab area had fire spreading into from the other end of their lab further down. Not good. On a lighter note they could finally stand and breathe a little better, though if they hung around long enough this room would end up the same as the previous. With the idea of a small break, Sayid lowered Kate to the floor and took off his outer shirt, bending over her and dabbing at her head wound and cuts. The lack of words between the two of them at that moment would have otherwise terrified people had it not been for the horrific situation they currently had to cope with. It didn't seem like there was much to say. Actions were what kept them alive.

"We have to go." Sayid wheezed, and looked up at Jack who was now sitting back against a table leg catching his lost breath. He took the shirt off Kate, stuffing the bloody mess it had become in his pocket, and extending a hand to his friend. Jack accepted and then bent down to pick up Kate, sighing as he did so, his muscles straining and lungs torturing his shattered body.

A few more people came out behind them, stumbling past on the same path as them, wanting out, barely looking at each other as they did so.

Sayid was leading this time, and their path led towards a corridor finally outside the labs, but which also had a small amount of smoke coming from it. Judging by the fact that those who had passed them before, never returned, there must be a way through for them and so they continued.

They turned into the corridor, finding a few small flames creeping under a side door from yet another exit of the labs, but it was nothing of a threat, and this time they could see their goal in clear perfect view ahead of them.

The light poured in from the nice day that it actually was outside, the smoke and the light heavily contrasting, the only things visible on the other side of the gas barrier were dark shapes that passed hurriedly. AS they got closer the dark shapes began to take form, and color into the sight of a team of fireman making themselves ready to enter the burning building.

They walked towards it with purpose.

There it was.

* * *

Next chapter tomorrow... will they make it out?! 

I promise the happy stuff will come back soon...


	23. This Addiction

"Maybe I should…" Sawyer started looking at the entrances to the building.

"Sawyer!" Ana turned to look at him, as did the other two girls.

"It's dangerous…let the fireman do their jobs." Claire told him, trying to convince him, or possibly more herself that the fireman would find their friends and get them out safely.

"They haven't even gone in yet, how the hell are they doing anything?!" Sawyer said, his voice becoming louder, frustrated. Not meaning to take this out on Claire, but not keeping his emotions in check, something that didn't make an appearance very often…then again it wasn't like these kind of things happened every other day either.

"Sawyer…" She said trailing off. She actually didn't know what to say. Saying his name as a response seemed to be as far as she could get.

Sawyer looked around, a hand going to his hair, running it through nervously, trying to think fast. _God what to do?! _It was now or never. He couldn't just stand there and hope for the best. Two of those people in there were basically his family he'd known them that long and the third might as well be too. Their group was tight, if anything happened to that; they would never be the same again. Not just vacancies in their circle of friends, but as people.

He pushed the negativity to the back of his mind and strode forward confidently, with purpose. He was going to help.

He took note of the fire crew playing more attention to one exit and so headed for the other one which seemed to have been neglected except for the occasional person still appearing from within its depths. Moving right along the barrier line, which had been erected to keep people out of the way, to the edge, he ducked under and made a dash straight into the dark interior.

Lights were out. It seemed as if all power was being sucked into the noise the alarms were still blaring out continuously. The odd light did flicker which gave him a feeling of unease, feeling like too close a comparison to those horror based video games where the main character walks along a deserted corridor and next thing you know something jumps out of a nearby doorway and they get their head bitten off…or something else gory, that you really don't want to happen to you.

Remove the sound of sirens, the corridors were eerily silent, something that in everyday life at that college, they didn't come across all that often.

"Yeah, just peachy…" He thought out loud to himself. If it wasn't for those who he cared for he would have called it a major lapse in judgment, turned, and got the hell out of there as fast as possible. Yet he still found a little comfort in mumbling to himself as he went along, he was still committed to the task.

He rounded a corner, passed many doors, and just as he was passing one, it swung open abruptly giving him a huge fright and making him leap sideways away from it, with a higher than normal pitched squeak as his voice broke.

* * *

"Do you think he was right in going in there?" Ana Lucia asked Claire who had sat down against a wall, still watching the exits and the fire crew run around, while teachers on their side of the barrier were trying to give information to police and those students who had remained on the campus were scattered across the grounds, some were fine, while others were with paramedics; some of the problems they were dealing with ranging from panics attacks to burns, cuts, and the few that were unlucky to sport broken bones. 

"He's Sawyer." She simply replied.

Ana sat down next to her, after looking at Shannon to see that she had calmed…REALLY calmed. In fact she could have been meditating had it not been for the disastrous situation. Claire stopped surveying the grounds and turned to look at her.

"Speaking here from experience…Sawyer is who you see, the ass, the sarcastic ass, the stupid ass…theee annoying ass you sometimes want to punch…" She smiled as she came out with that, and the look Ana got on her face as she said it. She meant it in the most loving friend way possible, of course. "…what you see in his need to go help his friends is really who he is. It may not be right for him to go in there…stupidly dangerous in fact, but it's what he'll do for his friends."

Ana Lucia took this in. She didn't know Sawyer as well as the others did, that was a sure thing considering she only became part of their group the previous year, but maybe this was part of the growing they were all doing, on their own, and as a group. It really was true when people say that in times of need the people who are with you are the people that are your real friends.

"They'll all be alright." This surprisingly came from Shannon. Both Claire and Ana Lucia turned to her and she slowly looked back at them, and repeated that one line, the one thing she had said in a while, again looking at them, trying to hold onto that hope.

* * *

"CHARLIE?!" Sawyer shouted at the doorway where Charlie stood staring at him, a little blankly, but all the same staring at him. 

"Sawyer!!" He raised his hands up in the air as he stepped out of the doorway and into the corridor. He teetered a bit to the side and then stopped as Sawyer grabbed his arm to steady him.

"Charlie, you alright?" He asked, paying attention to the cut on Charlie's head. "Dude your head."

"I know! It friggin' hurts. My heads all wooo." He came out with to Sawyer who was giving him a strange look, as he swayed a little on the spot. "Why are you in here?? Shouldn't you be in your lesson???"

"Erm, I'm in here looking for you…and Jack, Kate and Sayid…" Sawyer looked at him a little confused. "…something happened…" He tried, raising his eyebrows, to see if it made any sense to Charlie, who was just standing there as if nothing had happened. "…how hard did you hit your head-" He was cut off by shouting and bustling of bodies as a fire team came towards them.

"HEY! You shouldn't be in here right now!!" The leader of the team came up to them, and started to usher them back in the direction of the exit. "Get your friend to a paramedic." The fireman commanded, leading them to the main doors, before turning around and heading back inside.

Sawyer sighed, and with one last look into the college, he grabbed Charlie's arm again, and lead him outside.

A few paramedics who had been hanging around outside for people coming out immediately pounced on them, asking questions, and assessing them as fast as possible. Sawyer wafted them away with his hands, telling them he was fine, and wasn't hurt at all. At this they jumped to full attention on Charlie, who was already having his bleeding head temporarily tended to.

"He's going to need stitches." One of the paramedics announced.

"You're going to need stitches sir…if you'd like to…" Another paramedic started.

"Do you feel light headed at all?" The first paramedic began assessing again. "Weak pulse, and highly constricted pupils."

"…follow me to an ambulance and we'll get you sorted in no time." The second paramedic finished off.

Sawyer had watched the whole ordeal, quite amused, just for a second, by how they were working and how oblivious Charlie was to it all at that moment. He was just kind of nodding along happily, as they led him away. Sawyer headed back over to the girls who had stood eagerly at the line wanting to know what was going on with the two boys.

The girls caught his eyes, immediately asking questions just through the looks. He shook his head, and then decided to tell them about Charlie, who he had found.

"I think he's breathed in too much smoke or something." Sawyer started to tell them. "He's out of it."

Claire frowned as she stood on tip toes and looked over at the ambulance the paramedics had lead him to, and saw that they were pretty much holding him up, as he swayed back and forth, then watching as one of the medics shook their head at the other. They shut the door of the ambulance, and drove away with him.

"Something is wrong…they just took him away." Claire said to the others, who then turned to see the tail end of the ambulance as it left.

Charlie gone. Jack, Kate and Sayid missing. What next?

* * *

OMG! Nearly there! So close...so close, and then I pull it away again! But I swear, nearly there!! Hang on in there...

As always, read, review and enjoy:)


	24. The Return

The end of the four part disaster is nearing!

* * *

Those outside stood with baited breath. The news that Sawyer hadn't seen Jack, Kate or Sayid inside was a downer on all, but considering he hadn't got far on his journey of the interior it was understandable. Sawyer stepped forward towards a police officer and grabbed his arm. The officer whipped around and glared at him thinking he was about to cause trouble. Sawyer rose up to his full height and began talking before the man could protest. 

"Why aren't they rushing in there to get people out?!" he demanded as a low growl.

"I'm sorry but there's been an explosion…it takes time!" Sawyer made a noise of frustration and spun back around to the rest, aggravated.

A whole load of shouting broke out just t that moment, sending paramedics flying towards the smoke engulfed entrance and police to control those that had risen to their feet and forwards towards the barricade in the crowd.

* * *

The Disheveled group stumbled forward the last few yards and out through the smokey façade. The light of the outside clear day was significantly blinding in comparison to the dull they had been subjected to. With shock their bodies were currently suffering, they took a little longer than usual to retain their sight; long enough so that they were met with the feeling of bodies moving around them and ushering them urgently. 

Jack remembered the extra weight her was currently carrying in the form of Kate, as he felt his arms float in its absence He made n effort to fight but he was more disoriented than ever. He felt Sayid beside him saying his name, and hearing his own relayed to him. Before hearing the shouting of many voices, those who he knew and those who were new and then the world went strangely dark again; the feeling of falling and collision of concrete.

* * *

The three girls and Sawyer broke into a run as they saw Sayid, Jack and Kate appear, dirty, bleeding, and generally like they'd just been in hell on earth. The police officer Sawyer had just talked to made to stop them, but as they passed Sawyer shoved him back as they dashed towards their friends. 

As they ran they watched Kate be taken by a fireman and carried to a stretcher that was being pushed by a paramedic on their way over. The first thing they did was check she was breathing then with a nod to his partner the paramedic began pushing the stretching towards the ambulance that was parked on the grounds.

"Kate!!" Claire shouted. She stopped abruptly, as she was torn between following her and running towards Jack and Sayid. She felt Sawyer stop beside her and take her arm in a hand and turn her towards the ambulance.

"Go with her, we'll meet you at the hospital." He told her straight, and with a last look back seeing Jack stumble on his feet she ran after Kate, making it to the doors in time, to tell the paramedic she was a friend and having the door closed behind her.

Siren filled the air again, as the ambulance took off out the grounds and away.

"Sayid!!!!" Shannon shouted and screamed as she raced towards him and wrapped her arms around him tightly. She pulled back again to see the large cut he was sporting on his head. "You're hurt." She said to him, all the weird calm that had engulfed her previously evaporated instantly and was filled with panic and urgency again. He nodded, just looking at her.

Sawyer had ran straight to Jack, as he saw him falter and begin to fall. He called his name, and a firefighter leaped forward towards Jacks falling form. Both Sawyer and the firefighter failed in reaching him in time before he hit the hard floor with a thud.

Sayid standing next to that scene began to realize that he was feeling a little out of it. Hardly surprising considering all they had gone through. As he realized that he'd blanked out completely he felt his body flush over with heat, and then his head become so light he could have been high. He placed a hand to his forehead and felt the cold sweat that had now formed there, and then decided to make a move towards the grass to sit down. He took a step and then fell, managing to sit up again, but losing his sight as he slowly fell out of consciousness.

* * *

Sayid opened his eyes again to a very bright place. Brighter than the sunshine itself. The lights were those annoying fluorescent hospital lights that were always placed somewhere to blind someone who'd be lying back facing them. The sound of beeping filled the air next to him, and he suddenly became aware of the fact that there was a mask on his face. 

He lifted a hand to his face and worked at pushing it out the way, finding that the air outside that mask definitely didn't feel as fresh. He coughed once then turned to look around. An opening into a corridor on his left, and to the right he found Jack watching him, with a mask on his face.

"You might want to put that back on." Jack said to Sayid tapping his own mask. Sayid did so and then leaned back.

"We're alive, right?" He asked turning his head towards Jack again, but leaving it to rest on the pillow. "Where's Kate?" He realized that she was not in the room with them.

"She's alright, as far as I know." He started to inform him. "A nurse came in about half an hour ago to tell me that she had woken up. I think she ripped some ligaments in her ankle, and had a few cuts and burns, but I think we're all kinda suffering that too." He finished the sentence with his tone flitting ever so slightly to a much needed humor, especially after the day they'd had. "We're all fine."

Sayid lifted a hand to his face, and felt the unmistakable feeling of stitches, running his fingers along each strand wondering if he would be scarred. Jack told him he'd had stitches in the back of his head too, which was unsurprising considering Sayid himself had seen how much Jack had been bleeding.

They sat for only about 5 minutes in silence, just drinking in the oxygen, before a loud noise from a crowd of people infiltrated their peace accompanied with the sight of Jack's parents, Claire, Sawyer, Ana Lucia, and Shannon.

Jack's mom went straight to him and began to fuss over her son, while the others watched amused as he tried to bat he hands away.

Shannon went to sit on the edge of Sayid's bed on one side and Claire sat on the other. Jack quickly caught Claire's eye and she nodded at him. That's all he wanted, some confirmation, and Claire knew directly what had happened in between the time of them getting out and him awaking in a hospital bed; she would tell him exactly, not just a nurses tip-toeing around the details version.

Sawyer walked round to the other side of Jack's bed and pulled up the chair. He smirked at him.

"I heard you were a hero in training." Jack said to him, sending a smirk back.

"Well…I wouldn't call it that…I…just… you know…" Sawyer began to stutter, he was never _that _person; he was the one that would get in trouble.

"It's okay." Jack said to him. Sometimes he was so frustrated with Sawyer, but he accepted it. He knew he could count on Sawyer, even if he just had to keep it to himself.

A doctor came in and explained that they were currently suffering from excess smoke inhalation, and that had been the reason they had passed out. He talked about Kate to let them all know her situation, saying that she'd be in over night to make sure she was fine then she could leave the next afternoon. After the doctor had left, the remainder of the group explained to Jack and Sayid what had apparently happened in the lab. They were told that Kate had managed to make Trinitrotoluene, or TNT, and that it had exploded. Apparently they had all been very lucky considering they'd all came out unscathered, bar a few cuts and burns, and their clothes had still been covered in TNT, which could have reacted still while on them. They were also informed of their fellow classmates, and that everyone was fine, and all floating along in the same 'covered in cuts' boat.

Overall they were ALL very lucky.

A few hours later when Jack and Sayid had been released after having their oxygen levels confirmed and much talking of the day, the teens headed around to visit Kate, who was apparently sitting alone and very bored. When they entered her room, her face lit up with joy at them all standing there together.

They all greeted and squished their way onto and around her bed, hugging each other until the happiness that was flowing freely from them was interrupted by a question.

"Hey where's Charlie?" Kate said with a small laugh, thinking that he'd gotten lost randomly in the hospital or something. The rest went quiet. The smile that was on her face faded. "Er…"

"Charlie…he…" Sayid began to explain but was cut off.

"He was found high on drugs." Claire was the one who had and finished the sentence not looking up from her hands.

"Oh." Was all Kate could really say. That was definitely something she hadn't been expecting.

"Remember after the party at my house..." Jack then took his turn to carry on where Claire had left off.

"It was him?!" Kate exclaimed, realizing the drugs they'd found at Jack's had belonged to Charlie. Speculation wasn't one of the things that had followed that morning, months back. It seemed dangerous to fiddle with the private lives of their friends on a wim, for all they knew it could have been a coincidence and a simple task of disposing of something that had been a surprising find(considering the crap they had suffered previously, with guns, drugs and a lovely amount of trouble resorting to fighting), or it could have been something much more serious if the problem had originated in Jack's own household. So it was definitely something that wasn't going to be pushed without reason. And since it never surfaced again, it was pushed out of mind. It had been the easiest way to go about things, and a lot easier having only three of them know.

Shannon had sat there, upon finding out, struggling between jealousy for having not been let in on the secret and remorse for the situation; internal war waging.

The group went silent again. Kate lifted her head, and looked at Claire who was refusing to meet eye contact, yet from the twitching she was currently suffering she knew she was being watched and was uncomfortable with it.

"Claire…" Kate just said her name. It was reassuring, but also questioning with a question Kate didn't even know how to form.

"It's fine." She said finally looking up at her friends. They nodded silently, drama hadn't really ever been a part of their lives, it was always quite simple.

They stayed as long as they possibly could, before a nurse came in and told them that visiting was over. The other's left to go wait at the car, as Jack talked to Kate.

"Rough day." He said, using his fingers to brush her hair away from her face, which had a few cuts gracing it.

"Yeah." She sighed, and looked at her leg. "Do you have to go?" She whined looking back at him, and quickly to the entrance the rest of her friends had just left through. "I don't want to spend the night here alone." He laughed slightly.

"I'll be here to pick you up tomorrow afternoon, okay?" He said, as he stood from his sitting position on the edge of her bed. He moved forward and kissed the top of her head, feeling her wrap her arms around his body.

"Okay." She smiled at him, which he reciprocated widely, as he picked up his jacket and headed away. He waved once he met the entrance, a last locking of eyes, before it was broken and he left.

Kate sighed again, as she looked around her room. "Bleh." Long night and day to continue before she could go home. Shoving her oxygen mask back on, she closed her eyes and lay back into her pillows, relaxing. At least it was over. Finally.

* * *

I was going to leave it without an end note, but I had to say something...and I've totally forgotten... reads own fic... oh right! GOT IT! I'm guessing this applies to...well probably everywhere, but I don't think toluene is actually allowed in schools and colleges, for the exact reason above(and of the last 4 chapters). But like I said, I wanted things to go BOOM, and you know, who better than to blow things up than Kate?! 

Thanks for the reviews faithful readers! I'm glad you enjoyed the drama. :D


	25. So Close

Kate sat impatiently most of the morning, finding the only entertainment in watching the nurses go past, or when she got fed, though that part was a little gross. Hospital food…yuck. She had even contemplated getting up and hopping to a vending machine, but chances were, she'd fall and hurt her ankle even more, and according to the doctors, it would be a long healing process; at least two or three weeks without walking, then with crutches after that. That was Kate's kind of torture.

As afternoon came, a nurse appeared with clothes that her parents had left her the night previously, and helped her dressed for being discharged. Just that simple process alone took enough time; fitting her fat foot through her jeans had been a pain in the ass…or ankle as it was.

Jack turned up about 2:30 and wheeled her out to the car in a wheelchair. After he pulled up back home, he helped her into her house, and to the couch, making sure she was comfortable before running off next door to throw the car keys into the kitchen for his parents. They barely got to ask him if Kate was home okay before he ran back out the house and to Kate's again.

Jack was about to throw himself down on the couch next to her, when he remembered her ankle, almost dancing as he spun around and fell through the air, landing with a loud thump as he hit the floor. Kate burst out laughing, and her mom poked her head in from the hall to see what the noise had been.

While Kate found it hilarious, Jack lay sprawled on his back, groaning.

"Hello Jack." Kate's mom greeted him, leaving the room again with a smirk on her face.

"Ow. Hi Mrs A!" He replied from the floor. "Well…at least I missed your foot." He said sitting up and running a hand round to his back and giving it a rub, while turning the conversation back to a pink Kate.

"Yeah, otherwise I would have been forced to scream, cry and kick your ass with my good foot." She said after she'd stopped laughing and her breathing had calmed.

Jack got back up again, gently slid a hand under her legs and lifted them up so he could slide under and sit down. He kept them held up while he placed a cushion on his legs and then placed her legs back down on it.

"Okay?" He asked her.

"Okay." She answered as she lay back and exhaled. She sat quietly for a few seconds, before she reached onto the top of the couch and found the TV remote. She pressed the on switch and flicked through the channels.

"Find a movie channel. See if there's anything good on." Jack offered resting his arms on her good leg, making sure to avoid the damaged one at all costs.

"Doing so." Kate kept clicking till she finally found something she liked; 10 Things I Hate About You. "Mmm Heath Ledger."

"Oh god…you're terrible." Jack turned his eyebrows close knit, a look to complete his words. "Have you seen his hair?"

"Have you seen yours?" She threw back at him quickly.

"Hey, what's wrong with my hair?!" He said his voice getting higher. He rubbed his hand over his head subconsciously.

"Nothing, so shut up and watch the movie." She turned her head to him and grinned cheekily.

They sat for majority of the movie the same way, shifting only briefly after Kate very nicely asked Jack to get her a drink and some popcorn. He appeared back 5 minutes later with a sandwich for himself, grinning cheekily at her the same way she had previously when a blank look had accompanied the fact that he had food.

As a common occurrence, when it got to the singing part, Kate joined in animatedly, waving her arms around dramatically, till she winced and stopped with the actions.

Nearing the end of the movie, Jack had stretched out too, beside her, and had rested his head on the arm of the couch, feeling tired just from sitting around doing nothing. Kate snuggled up, continuing to watch the movie as enthusiastically as she had at the start, whereas Jack was beginning to dose, having been forced to watch the movie before, a second time wasn't really needed.

Kate felt his arm tighten around her, and turned her head slightly to see his eyes, closed. She smiled to herself, seeing that he was sleeping peacefully and then went back to the TV.

* * *

It was near 8pm when the door bell rang. Diane waited for the familiar sounds of loud noise and squealing, from her position upstairs, but heard none of it. The door bell rang again, so she moved and went to answer it. 

"FINALLY! Jeez what's with yo-" Sawyer started shouting not really looking directly at the door, then lifted his eyes to the doorway. Arms stopped flapping and his mouth shut for a second. "-oh hiiii Mrs Austen." He recovered, smiling.

"Sawyer." She acknowledged him, then looked at Claire beside him, and smiled and greeted her. She moved out of the way, letting them in, then disappeared back upstairs again, telling them that Kate and Jack were in the living room as she ascended the stairs.

Sawyer frowned slightly noticing the lack of trademark giggles and laughter that usually accompanied time that Jack and Kate spent together, looking over to Claire who was apparently thinking the same thing according to how her face was, and then the fact that she ever so briefly looked up to the ceiling.

"Naaaah!" He said out loud, striding forward towards the door to the living room. Claire followed him through the door after he half smashed through it and into the room. She walked into the back of him though, as soon as she had entered because he stopped abruptly.

"What?!" She complained at him, giving his back a small shove, which caused him to turn around and glare at her, before signaling around him and to where the couch was. "AWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!" The anger instantly dissipated, leaving pure soppy romantic teenage girl in control. Claire was looking at the sight of her two sleeping friends curled up together on the couch, and she found it incredibly cute!

She stopped 'awwing' for a second, the change filling the air with silence, then Sawyer heard her sigh beside him and took her arm and guided her towards the kitchen.

"Hey what are you doing?" She asked confused as he marched her to one of the stools, and pressured her towards it.

"We'll just wait." He said to her simply, as he walked to the fridge, opened the door and start riffling through. He stood back out, and in his hands he had half a melon. "Melon?" He asked her with a dimpled grin.

She rolled her eyes at him but beckoned him over nevertheless.

* * *

Sometime later Kate began to stir, turning in the small space she had, onto her back, and lifting a hand to her face, to rub at her eyes. It was at that point, that Jack moved, alerting her to his presence again. He squirmed too, using his arms to pull her to him again. She let out a small laugh and opened her eyes to see that he was looking at her through tired eyes. 

"Hi." She simply said.

"Hi." he copied her, not breaking the eye contact that currently had them in a complete trance.

Kate inched her way forward ever so slightly, which he followed, smirking at her. They were so close at that point, but neither moving. So close they could feel each other's breath beating across their skin. They'd both closed their eyes, now following their senses, and their lips were just at the point of touching...

There was an extremely loud clatter of metal from the kitchen that tore through the house and through the quiet moment they were sharing. Suddenly eyes were open again and looks of confusion were painted across their faces. That was something that wasn't supposed to happen at that point. It was supposed to still be peaceful.

Then a laugh pierced the air; a girly laugh. Claire. What the hell was Claire doing there?!

"What the…?" Jack started to question, but was cut off by Kate turning around in his arms again, breaking free, and standing, grabbing the crutches from round the side of the couch.

"I'm going to kill them." She said as she made her way towards the door, hopping along with aid. Jack jumped up after her immediately following.

"Them?" He asked frowning as he processed what she had just said to him. He'd heard Claire. Singular. At what point was there a them?

"Sawyer." She said as she burst into the kitchen and saw them.

"Yes?" Sawyer asked grinning from ear to ear, covered in white power…which also happened to be covering a good bit of the kitchen too. Claire was beside him on a stool dusted too, and clutching her sides as she was now silently laughing having no air left to make a noise.

Kate stared in horror at the kitchen. She made a step forward and had a look on her face that said she was going to kill someone. Jack didn't need to see her to know it was there and so grabbed hold of her shoulders stopping her from advancing on Sawyer. Not that she'd get very far very fast with crutches anyway, but still Kate was probably capable. And crutches could be weapons.

"YOU!!!!" She shouted from where she was. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO THE KITCHEN?!?!" She was shouting...reeeeeeally shouting.

Claire quickly stopped laughing at that and looked at Kate who looked quite pissed.

"Er…" She stuttered.

"We came to check on that dead leg of yours, hop-a-long." He started explained. "Of course you were…_resting._" He said putting lots of emphasis on that and looking at Jack, who shook his head back as if to say 'not the best time, dude'. "Anywhooo, we were hungry." He finished and gestured to the mess.

"Mmmhmmm." Jack joined and then sniffed. "I think its burning."

"Oh crap." Claire stood up at that point and went to the frying pan that was currently on the gas. She took it off and picked up the spatula that was on the bench top and scrapped what looked like a very burnt pancake out of it, and straight into the bin.

Kate made to hop across the kitchen to them, having tried to calm herself, and was followed by Jack who hopped up onto a clean-ish stool.

"The others are alright." Claire said to Kate as she stood beside her. "There's still some keeping warm in the oven if you want some?" Claire offered to her, trying to get her mood to pick up. At that Sawyer bent down, opened the over and pulled out a plate that was stacked with pancakes.

"Here." He handed them over to Jack. "Now tell me they ain't no good."

Claire helped Kate up onto the stool she'd been previously sitting at and got another plate, shoveling some onto it.

Kate ate a little. Sawyer was right, they were good, and slowly her anger was disappearing with each bite.

"God I love pancakes." Kate said thoroughly enjoying the food. Sawyer was back to grinning again, which was then wiped off his face once more. "You're cleaning this entire place up though." Kate addressed him and gave him a cheeky wink, hit Jack and began hopping away again, out of the kitchen.

"You came close there, man." Jack said to Sawyer with a laugh before following her away leaving the other two to clean up the current disaster site that the kitchen resembled.

* * *

_I'm just kinda writing as I can at the moment. College is back and that means full time deadness. I'm sure once LOST is back and I'm high off it, I'll be able to write fic in my sleep. ;-)  
_

_Comments are love. :D_


	26. Yet So Far

**Hi again! This was kind of abandoned for 8 months as my life was consumed completely by education and hell, but that's over anyway and I remembered about this so decided to give it a shot again. This chapter may be a tad weird reading wise, half was written way back then and half now, so there'll be a difference in writing style. Other than that, hopefully it will be enjoyed!**

* * *

With the college closed indefinitely, Jack had decided to write a list of all the college work that he had either put off over the summer, or was putting off currently or just hadn't managed to do yet, with all the other work he had done. He stared at the list. It was short, but as he looked at it and knew what each point included he knew he'd be there a while. He had 6 practical write ups alone, for biology, which the teacher had forgotten about, and random bits of math, few bits of chemistry, amongst other bits here and there.

So he lay on his bed, laptop in place, headphones on and was trying to write biologically, though he was also tempted with those who were flashing at him on IM. Eventually he told them he was busy, when he realized he'd written 3 words.

With his music on, though, he hadn't heard his phone, which had been beeping loudly beside him for about five minutes. As this went silent again (not that he knew otherwise) he was met with a barrage of IMs.

Surprised at the sudden flashing he checked.

**SEXonLEGS:**JACKJACKJACKJACKJACKJACKJACKJACKJACKJACKJACKJACK!!

**Dr. Sheepherder:**Yes?

**SEXonLEGS:** You're an ass!!

**Dr.Sheepherder:** I'm Sorry?

**SEXonLEGS:** You bet you are. ANSWER YOUR FRICKIN' PHONE IN FUTURE!! NOW LISTEN…

Jack checked his phone and indeed there were missed calls…all from Sawyer.

**Dr.Sheepherder:** WTF is up with you?!

**SEXonLEGS:** …

**Dr.Sheepherder:** O.O

**SEXonLEGS:** Shut up!

**Dr.Sheepherder:** Okay…does that mean I can go back to my work then?

**SEXonLEGS:** You're doing work?!

**SEXonLEGS:** That isn't the point…

**SEXonLEGS:** I...

Jack was watching this confused, a tweaking Sawyer…what was the world coming to? He changed song and came back to the box with Sawyer in.

**SEXonLEGS:** I need your help.

Then there was silence.

**SEXonLEGS:** Jack?

More silence.

**Dr.Sheepherder:** AAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Sorry, I just had to pick myself up from the floor.

**SEXonLEGS:** .

**Dr.Sheepherder:** Sorry…sorry. It's just… you haven't asked for my help since we were kids, and even then you were forced.

**SEXonLEGS:** If you say ANYTHING to ANYONE about this I'm going to…

**SEXonLEGS:** Well I don't know what I'm going to do…JACK!

**Dr.Sheepherder:** YES! Okay…now what exactly do you want my help with?

**SEXonLEGS:** Ana Lucia

**Dr.Sheepherder:** Okay…why would you want my help with her? (_Confused_)

**SEXonLEGS:** ………

**SEXonLEGS:** She wants a date.

**Dr.Sheepherd****er:** Ah yes…you really do need help.

**SEXonLEGS:** Grrrr JACK!

**Dr.Sheepherder:** It's alright. I'll keep it quiet. Though you do realize the girls will hear of this, and they'll know everything now and they'll know everything after.

**SEXonLEGS:** I KNOW!

**Dr.Sheepherder:** Well what ideas have you got?

**SEXonLEGS:** Are you kidding me?!

**Dr.Sheepherder:** Seriously?! Nothing?!

**SEXonLEGS:** I don't do dates! When do I do dates? When have I ever done dates?! Come on Jack, you know me…I don't work like that. Not even close.

**Dr.Sheepherder:** It's not hard. Simple things will do. Girls can be easy to please if you know what the right thing is to do...

**SEXonLEGS:** Okay stop the lecturing. Start helping.

They spent the next twenty minutes organizing a date, which turned out to be something really simple, as Jack had said, and included the cinema. Even at this Sawyer was still needing guidance. Jack did a run through of everything that he must do, and Sawyer made a note and tried to get it to stick in his head.

The first part included him texting Ana to ask her if she wanted to go see a movie officially, and then he went to get cleaned up. So that was one thing he could do, he could get himself ready.

Half an hour till the time he'd offered he was sitting staring at the wall running through everything he had to do.

Be nice.

Smile.

Be nice

Refrain from saying anything insulting; no rude/inappropriate comments.

Be nice.

He could be…nice.

Ana Lucia SQUEALED down the phone to Kate who she was currently talking to. Kate burst out laughing at Ana's response to Sawyer asking her out, having known Sawyer for a long time, it really was a hilarious situation.

"Hold on a second." Kate pressed a button on the phone. "Hello?" She asked to the next call.

"Hi Kate, I was wondering if- -" Claire started talking away as she always did but was interrupted by Kate.

"I'm in a call with Ana, I'll get you in." Kate switched back into Ana's call and called Claire's number.

"Hello?" Claire asked this time.

"SQUEEEEEEE!" Ana squealed down the phone again.

"Hi." Kate said and burst out laughing again.

"What's going on?" Claire asked confused by all the noise and happiness. Both could now hear a faint laughter coming from Ana's end.

"Sawyer asked her out on a date." Kate said sticking her tongue out at the fact even though no one could see her.

"Oh…Ooooooooooh!!" Claire was intrigued. "How'd he manage that?" She asked cracking up a bit herself.

"Pffft! No idea." Kate exhaled. "I'm on the couch again, and it's really boring, so this conversation is the best thing to happen to me." Kate shared.

"Where are your crutches?" Claire asked, she knew Kate didn't like sitting still, even with a broken leg.

"Mom took them off me. She says I'm gonna have an accident soon if I don't stop moving around." Kate said and every bit of bitterness and frustration came through the phone perfectly.

Claire let out a teasing laugh for a second and then was rejoined by the sound of Ana Lucia who had apparently recovered for a second.

"Hi again!" She cheered down the phone…CHEERED. That wasn't the type of word that would accompany the name Ana Lucia.

"Is she high?" Claire asked Kate.

"I'm not high." Ana Lucia interjected and was talked over.

"Possibly." Kate answered controlling a giggle waiting to explode from inside her.

"Seriously guys." Ana tried again.

"Or drunk…"Claire started again, she knew how to tease.

"Both!" Kate shouted.

"Okay…whatever…" There we go. She was starting to sound like herself again and Kate forced her hand into her mouth as she began to shake with the pressure that was building.

Claire burst out laughing openly, the sound blaring through the ear piece, which then set Kate off.

"Right I'm out of here. Enjoy your lonely evenings." Both Kate and Claire continued to laugh, then as quickly as they could manage at the end screamed down the phone.

"DETAILS LATER!!" It was complete unison, they could have been twins.

Ana rolled her eyes and put the phone down. Now it was panic time. She was alone she could panic….WHAT WAS SHE GOING TO WEAR?! Maybe she needed Kate and Claire after all….actually no. Kate didn't have a clue, and Claire would make her into a princess…Shannon.

"Hi Shannon, pick up the phone…pick it up…now…please…PICK IT UP…Shannon I swear to god if you don't-" The familiar quiet of the answer machine stopped with a click as Shannon arrived on the other end.

"Nice to hear from you too." She said as she answered. "What's up? You never call."

"I do call…sometimes." Ana stuttered. It was true; then again she didn't usually call anyone, so it worked with everyone not just Shannon.

"Okay…so, seriously…what's up?" Shannon said through a laugh, it was obviously important.

Ana hesitated for a second. She'd already told Kate and Claire, which meant that Shannon was going to find out anyway, but Shannon also talked a lot. It was quite possible that that word didn't cover it, Shannon loved gossip and was usually the one in control of it.

"I have a date…"

"Oooh with who?!" Ana had to roll her eyes at that. Shannon had to be ditzy right when she needed to serious help.

"Sawyer." She said so simple again. Shannon started laughing her usual light laugh, trailing off again to silence realizing it wasn't a joke.

"Oh…you're being serious." Shannon became quiet at that and an awkward silence followed.

"What?! He's hot. Sue me."

"No judgement." Shannon replied. "Right so, other than that, what was the purpose of this very strange call?"

Ana stayed silent. She'd never live this down.

She explained to Shannon her problem, who got all excited again at the prospect of clothes talk and the such and helped Ana Lucia out as much as she could.

It got to the point where she was finally ready and no amount of extra help from her friends could be obtained. Sawyer was literally going to be there any second. She was thoroughly surprised at herself, being so nervous.

Snapped out of her thoughts, the doorbell rang and she jumped ever so slightly. She walked towards the door, wondering what to expect, and upon opening it was surprised.

There was Sawyer, standing, very smart looking, in a nice pair of jeans and a smart shirt. Though he usually dressed like that, he never looked as well-dressed as he did now…he was grinning at this inspection she was currently doing.

She snapped out of her daze and back into herself.

"So are you going to take me out or not?" She questioned in a tough tone. This just caused Sawyer to smirk and nod, leading her to the car.

Near midnight the car pulled up outside Ana's house again, date done for the night. They both got out the car quietly, keeping both their eyes ahead watching where they were walking to, avoiding glances at each other.

Ana stopped upon reaching her door, shoved the key in the door instantly and opened it. "So tonight was…" She trailed off wondering what to continue with.

"Excellent!" He grinned, deep dimples emerging, which caused Ana to look at little wide-eyed with surprise at him. "What?"

"Well, it was okay, but seriously you need to STOP making sleazy remarks at me if we're on A DATE!" She lifted her voice just a little to get her point across but keeping it controlled for the sake of the neighbours, sneaking a quick glance at her own windows as well.

Now Sawyer looked confused and stayed silent. It was alright to make comments, wasn't it? He didn't see anything wrong with what he'd said. He was like he always was and she didn't mind so much then...did she? Nah.

She caught on to his train of thought instantly. "Dude, we were in a cinema!!" Her eyes were near enough glowing, and she tried to force as much restraint into herself as was possible at that moment.

"What?!" He threw his hands up, he still couldn't think of what had gone wrong. Cinema, date, girl, hot, commenting, date things…right?

She took a deep breath in, trying to push away the urge to hit him, instead she took a second breath in, released it, smiled nicely at him and pecked him quickly on the lips before bouncing into her house and shutting the door on Sawyer without a goodnight.

Now he was REALLY confused.

He stared at the door for a few seconds more replaying what had just happened through his mind, finding no answers at the end of it. Figuring it was a girl thing, he pushed it away, placed a smile back on his face and strode back to the car, thinking that the night was a success.

Shannon woke up the next morning 8am to a text message that was beeping away on her phone that was placed on the table next to her head. 8am, she really wasn't happy with being woken and swore that it better be something good, or something with good reason to do such a thing to her at that hour.

She grabbed her phone, rolling back across her bed, and shoved it in front of her face squinting slightly at the screen. "Dammit!!" She yelled throwing the phone to the bottom of her bed. The text had been from Kate telling her that they were meeting in town at Starbucks at 10 by request of Ana Lucia who had some 'things' to discuss. Shannon interpreted this as 'Sawyer date gone wrong' because otherwise there usually wasn't much to talk about. And if she wanted to be there on time for the entirety of the gossip she'd have to literally start getting ready right at that moment.

10am rolled around and she wasn't there. Kate, Claire and Ana Lucia were already sitting coffees in hand waiting, expecting her to be late considering the time of their meeting. 10:10 she came bursting through the main doors, looking a little ragged compared to her usual appearance.

"What happened to you?" Kate laughed inspecting her. "Looks like you were dragged through a hedge backwards." She muttered, inaudible only to Shannon, which caused giggles from the other two.

"Shut it Hop-along. I got here on time--" She started but was talked over.

"Ten minutes late." Claire piped up, then took a sip of her drink with a small grin. Shannon gave her a look of death.

"—ON TIME." She repeated for effect. "It COULD have been a lot worse considering the time I got the text." She then shot Kate a look too.

"Oh shut up, get a drink and sit down!" Ana demanded from her seat.

5 minutes later and Shannon was sat down with a triple shot latte, needing the caffeine to get her through the morning, and allowed for conversation to finally start.

"So what happened?" Kate asked. "Your text wasn't really forthcoming, but then again the 'GRRRRR' on the end kinda set the tone really."

"That bad?" Claire asked curiously. Everyone was serious; even if the topic was the date with Sawyer who they all knew was the biggest man whore on the planet. Ana stayed quiet a second, leaving the others to stare at her waiting for her to start complaining.

"Well, it was alright, I suppose." She barely got it out before the other three basically had their jaws on the floor and were asking questions again.

"Alright?" Claire asked with a confused look on her face.

"Sawyer…he…what?" Kate stammered totally confused by that answer.

Shannon got over her shock and then got angry. "If it was alright then why the hell are we here at this stupid time?!" She wasn't happy again.

"Well…" Ana Lucia started. "I mean, Sawyer came up with a date…Sawyer, date same sentence and it wasn't a bad idea, you know, for him. It was the cinema, didn't include anything that I thought was really Sawyer-ish."

Claire jumped in again. "There's a huge 'but' about to smack us in the face any second, isn't there?" Ana ignored the remark and continue with the said 'but'.

"But at the end of it, he was still Sawyer. He had no idea what he was doing. He managed to INSULT me half a dozen times in the first hour without even noticing, and did I mention that this was _during_ the movie? I swear he's not even human, cause he had no idea he was doing something wrong!" She was half talking to herself by that point, spilling everything to the other three, and for some reason she realized she was truly bothered by the way Sawyer was for the first time since she'd met him.

"Well…he's Sawyer." Kate simply started, gaining a glare from Shannon. She signaled back a 'what?'.

"Have you considered talking to him? Might help." Shannon was doing her best to help now that she was there. She was usually underestimated relationship advice wise considering how much talking was done between her and Sayid. Not much at all.

"To Sawyer?" Kate asked again. She knew Sawyer for the longest and knew him well and thorough enough to know that he didn't deal with conversations either, not if they were something serious that involved himself; that was well beyond his mental capacity.

Claire nudged her roughly in the side and whispered that she should shut up.

"But--" She tried, but stopped picking up her drink instead leaving the word hanging in the air and turning her thoughts elsewhere.

Ana Lucia shrugged and looked down into her drink like it might engulf her any minute. "Like I say, apart from that it was fun, but you know what he's like, so long as you can ignore the way he is with every female in the vicinity he's fun to be with, but I'm having a hard time ignoring."

Claire nodded, as did Shannon and then they were surprised by Kate after everything she had said and doubted.

"You really like him?" She asked Ana who looked up from her drink. She took a minute to think, then nodded slightly not really wanting to voice it aloud. "Maybe it is time for Sawyer to take a break from the man whore lifestyle then. I might have an idea that could help you…and it might be fun." She started sincerely, wondering whether Sawyer could manage it, grow up a little and then grinned at the end, her idea obviously something worth seeing. Things were about to get interesting.


End file.
